Stauber Legislation to Restore Energy Production on Alaska’s North Slope Passes House
WASHINGTON, D.C. – This week, Congressman Pete Stauber’s (MN-08) bill to restore energy development on Alaska’s North Slope passed the House of Representatives. The Alaska’s Right to Produce Act will reverse the Biden Department of the Interior (DOI)’s decision to prohibit oil and gas development on 13 million acres within the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska (NPR-A). It will also reinstate the lawfully awarded leases that the Biden DOI cancelled within the non-wilderness Coastal Plain of the Artic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR).
“From Minnesota to Alaska, President Biden has repeatedly prevented the responsible production of America’s abundance of natural resources. First it was the enactment of a mining ban in northern Minnesota, and now he has turned his focus to Alaska, where he has enacted 63 sanctions to block resource development. His most recent decision to limit energy development on Alaska’s North Slope was a devastating blow to hardworking Alaskans, particularly Alaska’s Native communities who were not consulted in this decision. On top of that, it will further cement our reliance on foreign adversaries and drive-up energy costs for American families who are already struggling to fill up their tanks and heat their homes. That’s why I am proud to see the House pass this much needed legislation to reverse Biden’s disastrous decisions and move Alaska’s communities one step closer to developing their God-given natural resources.”
During a House Natural Resources Committee hearing, Congressman Stauber had the chance to question Biden’s DOI Secretary Deb Haaland and ask why this Administration made these anti-energy decisions without even hearing from the Native communities who would be most impacted. Watch the full exchange HERE.
BACKGROUND:
Under the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA), the DOI was required to hold two lease sales in the 1002 Area of ANWR, the first by December 2021 and the second by December 2024.
The Trump Administration held the first sale, but the Biden Administration cancelled the leases, threatening a critical revenue stream for Alaskan Native communities. Two weeks ago, the Biden Administration announced a final rulemaking for the NPR-A that will lock up half the petroleum reserve for oil and gas exploration and production.
These actions were criticized by the entire Alaska delegation, local governments, Alaska Native Corporations, and federally recognized tribes across the North Slope of Alaska.