Miller, Colleagues Send Letter to GAO on DOI's Cancellation of Seven Oil & Gas Permits
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Congresswoman Carol Miller (WV-01) joined 25 of her House Republican colleagues in sending a letter to Government Accountability Office (GAO) Comptroller General, Gene Dodaro, urging the GAO to evaluate the Department of Interior’s cancellation of seven oil and gas lease permits as announced on September 6th.
The letter highlights 365,000 acres in the Coastal Plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) that the permits cover and if canceling them constitutes a “rule” for purposes of the Congressional Review Act (CRA).
Click here for letter.
On urging the GAO to review Department of Interior's announcement:
On September 6, 2023, the Biden Administration’s Department of Interior posted a press release announcing Secretary of Interior Deb Haaland’s cancellation of seven oil and gas lease permits covering 365,000 acres in the Coastal Plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR). We write to seek your review of whether the September 2023 announcement from the Department of Interior, titled “Biden-Harris Administration Takes Major Steps to Protect Arctic Lands and Wildlife in Alaska,” constitutes a “rule” for purposes of the Congressional Review Act (CRA).
On the Biden Administration's anti-energy policies:
As you well know, President Biden’s disastrous America-last energy policies and his embrace of the radical Green New Deal agenda have jeopardized American energy independence and have cost hard-working Americans, already battling soaring inflation, both at the gas pump and in their utility bills. First, the Biden Administration halted construction of the Keystone XL Pipeline, then they froze all oil and gas lease permits on federal lands, and later they drained our Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) to boost political capital while putting American national and energy security at risk.
This latest decision by the Department of Interior is nothing more than a continuation of the Biden Administration’s war on America’s energy independence. Under President Trump’s America-first agenda, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, signed into law in December 2017, established an oil and gas leasing program in the Coastal Plain of the ANWR – increasing our nation’s energy security and lowering oil and gas prices for hardworking Americans.
On ensuring the Biden Administration is aligned with the rule of the Congressional Review Act:
Congress must ensure that the Biden Administration follows the law and does not circumvent the will of the legislature, and the Congressional Review Act is our method of doing so. Thankfully, House Republicans have utilized this tool to prevent the Biden Administration’s disastrous Student Loan Bailout, overbearing Environmental Protection Agency regulations, and radical expansion of ESG standards in employee retirement plans. However, Congress must put a stop to the Biden Administration’s latest action in its war on America’s energy independence to safeguard our national security and ensure gas prices remain low for hardworking Americans.
Joining Congresswoman Miller in signing the letter are Representatives Andrew Clyde (GA-09), Jim Baird (IN-04), Aaron Bean (FL-04), Josh Brecheen (OK-02), Ben Cline (VA-06), Byron Donalds (FL-19), Chuck Edwards (NC-11), Russ Fulcher (ID-01), Bob Good (VA-05), Lance Gooden (TX-05), Paul Gosar (AZ-09), Michael Guest (MS-03), Andy Harris (MD-01), Wesley Hunt (TX-38), Doug Lamborn (CO-05), Laurel Lee (FL-15), Rich McCormick (GA-06), Barry Moore (AL-02), Troy Nehls (TX-22), Ralph Norman (SC-05), Guy Reschenthaler (PA-14), Matt Rosendale (MT-02), Chip Roy (TX-21), George Santos (NY-03), and Rudy Yakym (IN-02).
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