U.S. Senator James Lankford is part of an effort to make it harder for President Biden to ban energy exploration on federal lands. He has teamed up with U.S. Senator Cynthia Lummis to introduce the Protecting our Wealth of Energy Resources (POWER) Act of 2021. It would require Congressional approval for the President or his Administration to block energy or mineral leasing and permitting on federal lands and waters.
“The ability to permit or lease federal land for extracting minerals or energy resources should not be subject to an Administration’s whim. Leasing on federal lands also provides revenue to help pay down our deficit, so this Executive decision both hurts our economy now and hurts our economic future. American industry needs certainty as they pursue the valuable American resources on federally owned land that are the backbone of our economy. 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. To prevent the federal government from being the source of industry volatility, Congress should remain in the driver seat on how and when we utilize our federal lands, which this bills helps make crystal clear,” said Lankford.
Lankford and Lummis’ POWER Act has gained several Republican Senate co-sponsors, including U.S. Senator Jim Inhofe.
“I have long been an advocate for energy and mineral development on federal lands, because—to put it simply—energy security is national security. Sadly, President Biden has already showed he is willing to bow to radical environmentalists determined to outlaw fossil fuels and their development. His actions are wrong and will reverse our substantial progress toward energy independence made under the previous administration. I am proud to join Senator Lummis in introducing the POWER Act, which would prohibit the Biden administration from following through on its proposal to block the issuing of new energy and mineral development on federal lands without first getting Congressional approval. I am sad to see the Biden administration’s commitment to continuing the failed, Obama-era ‘war on fossil fuels,’ and I will not stop fighting for energy workers and job creators like those in Oklahoma and across the nation,” said Inhofe.
The bill has House Republican version, as well.
