Oklahoma U.S. Sens. James Lankford and Jim Inhofe were joined by several other members of the Senate in filing a bill to stop President Biden’s administration from block new oil and gas drilling and mining on federal lands and waters.
They filed the Protecting our Wealth of Energy Resources or POWER Act of 2021. Wyoming Sen. Cynthia Lummis and Lankford were the primary authors of the measure which is similar to one filed in the House.
“The ability to permit or lease federal land for extracting minerals or energy resources should not be subject to an Administration’s whim,” said Sen. Lankford in announcing the bill.
He said the President’s executive action against new drilling hurts the current economy and the future one as well.
“Instead of providing certainty, the Biden Administration has unfortunately already made it clear with their early executive actions and directives that traditional energy is Public Enemy Number One and the Administration will impose policies that negatively impact the industry simply to pacify fringe environmentalists,” added Lankford.
Sen. Inhofe was equally critical of the President saying the actions were wrong and will hurt the country’s efforts to achieve and maintain energy independence.
“Sadly, President Biden has already showed he is willing to bow to radical environmentalists determined to outlaw fossil fuels and their development,” said Inhofe.
The GOP Senator said he was saddened to see the Biden administration’s commitment to “continuing the failed, Obama-era ‘war on fossil fuels’.”
Other senators who joined them were: John Barrasso (R-WY), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), John Boozman (R-AR), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Bill Cassidy (R-LA), Tom Cotton (R-AR), John Cornyn (R-TX), Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Mike Crapo (R-ID), Ted Cruz (R-TX), Steve Daines (R-MT), John Hoeven (R-ND), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS), Ron Johnson (R-WI), John Kennedy (R-LA), Mike Lee (R-UT), Roger Marshall (R-KS), James Risch (R-ID), Mitt Romney (R-UT), Dan Sullivan (R-AK), Pat Toomey (R-PA), Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) and Roger Wicker (R-MS).
Sen. Barrasso vowed to fight the President’s ban.
“President Biden’s ban on new oil, gas, and coal leases is illegal and it robs people in Wyoming of their livelihoods.”
Cruz said, “As America continues to recover from a global pandemic, our energy industry desperately needs the Biden administration’s support, not its scorn.”
Sen. Daines said, “This is another blow to Made in America energy, jobs, and our Montana way of life. This action will kill nearly one million American jobs, increase our reliance on the Middle East for energy, and will result in Montana alone losing over $40 million each year for services in rural communities.”
Even Sen. Mitt Romney criticized the Biden administration’s moves.
“The economic impacts of the suspension of oil and gas leasing on federal lands will be devastating to Utah’s rural communities, tribes, and small businesses.”
To read the bill, CLICK HERE.