Why can’t all bills be as short as H.R. 26?
H.R. 26 is the “Protecting American Energy Production Act.”
It’s simple, too. No future president can block oil and gas drilling without Congress’s approval:
SEC. 2. Protecting American energy production.(a) Sense of Congress.—It is the sense of Congress that States should maintain primacy for the regulation of hydraulic fracturing for oil and natural gas production on State and private lands.(b) Prohibition on declaration of a moratorium on hydraulic fracturing.—Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the President may not declare a moratorium on the use of hydraulic fracturing unless such moratorium is authorized by an Act of Congress.
Sixteen Democrats voted for the bill.
“House Republicans are putting an end to the Democrats’ war on American energy. Today’s passage of the Protecting American Energy Production Act helps restore American energy dominance and protects the jobs of hardworking men and women,” said Speaker Johnson. “This bill ensures fracking will remain an essential tool in our nation’s energy production, allowing us to harness regions like the Permian Basin rather than turning to foreign adversaries for our energy needs, and helping to fully unleash America’s energy potential.”
Former President Joe Biden’s administration took many steps to stop oil and natural gas drilling in America.
Right before he left office, Biden banned offshore drilling along the East and West coasts, totaling 625 million acres. He justified the move under Section 12(a) of the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act.
Biden Interior Secretary Deb Haaland banned drilling on 28 million acres of public lands in Alaska.
Haaland also ticked off New Mexico Native Americans when she banned drilling near an indigenous site for 20 years because they often leased those lands to energy companies.
In other words, it helped their economy:
There are currently 53 Indian allotments located in the so-called 10-mile buffer zone around Chaco Canyon, generating $6.2 million per year in royalties for an estimated 5,462 allottees, according to the Navajo Nation. In addition, there are 418 unleased allotments in the zone that are associated with more than 16,000 allottees.“We are very poor. It’s like living in a third world. No help from the government, no help from the tribe,” Jean Armenta, another Navajo citizen with allotted land, told Fox News Digital. “A lot of us don’t have electricity or running water.”“I’m for drilling, I’m for drilling,” she added. “People need the money.”
The administration also implemented the most restrictive offshore drilling plan, proposing only three offshore drilling permits through 2029.
Trump’s Interior Secretary Doug Bergum immediately addressed the bans on Monday, his day on the job.
“Today marks the beginning of an exciting chapter for the Department of the Interior,” Burgum declared. “We are committed to working collaboratively to unlock America’s full potential in energy dominance and economic development to make life more affordable for every American family while showing the world the power of America’s natural resources and innovation. Together, we will ensure that our policies reflect the needs of our communities, respect tribal sovereignty, and drive innovation that will keep the U.S. at the forefront of energy and environmental leadership.”
The list includes revoking Biden’s move to ban offshore drilling along the East and West coasts.
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