Wyoming U.S.. Sen. John Barrasso says the latest rule proposed by the Biden administration to raise costs of oil and gas firms leasing public lands is just another assualt that knows no bounds on America’s reliable energy industry.
“President Biden’s assault on affordable, available and reliable American energy knows no bounds. With the stroke of a pen, the Biden administration will put Wyoming oil and gas workers on the unemployment line,” said the ranking ranking member of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources .
The proposed rules were announced by the Bureau of Land Management. The proposal codifies provisions of the Inflation Reduction Act that intentionally raised the price of leasing federal lands for oil and gas production.
The Republican Senator said the BLM is doubling down by adding costs to each individual well, further restricting where development can occur on federal lands and adding burdensome requirements on permits.
“The president has vowed to end drilling on federal lands. This rule confirms it’s a vow he intends to keep. Last year, the onshore oil and gas leasing program returned more than $43 to American taxpayers for every dollar spent. This destructive and punitive rule will end up costing the taxpayers far more than it helps them.”
Background Information:
On December 13, 2022, ranking member Barrasso questioned Tommy P. Beaudreau, the deputy secretary of the Interior, about the Department of the Interor’s implementation of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. Specifically, he pushed the administration to explain how it would impact oil and gas leasing programs on federal land.
Source: Barrasso press release
