Bruce Westerman

Mr. WESTERMAN

Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from Alaska (Mr. Begich), who is the lead sponsor of this legislation.

Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.J. Res. 131.

Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Stauber).

Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 879, I call up the joint resolution (H.J. Res. 131) providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Bureau of Land Management relating to ``Coastal Plain Oil and Gas Leasing Program Record of Decision'', and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.

Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.J. Res. 131 which would repeal a Biden administration-era Record of Decision, ROD, restricting oil and gas production on 1.16 million acres within the 10-02 area of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, also known as ANWR. The 10-02 area of ANWR was specifically set aside by Congress for its oil and gas potential and is estimated to hold anywhere between 4.25 and 11.8 billion barrels of recoverable oil. Prior to the passage of the Working Families Tax Cut law, which requires four lease sales to be held over a 10-year period, Congress had previously mandated energy leasing in the area, an action that has the support of local North Slope communities and Native Villages. Last Congress, we held a bipartisan legislative hearing on H.R. 6285, ``Alaska's Right to Produce Act,'' where we heard from Tribal representatives, including Inupiat leadership from the Native Village of Kaktovik, the only indigenous Tribal community within ANWR. In that hearing, Doreen Leavitt, Director of Natural Resources for the Inupiat community of the Arctic Slope said: The North Slope Inupiat live in one of the most remote areas of the country, with none of their communities connected by a permanent road system to each other or to municipalities in the State, making private and public investment very costly. It is up to their people to seek out opportunities and partners to strengthen their regional economy. Instead of working with Arctic Slope communities to create economic opportunities, the Biden-era ROD further limited the economic prospects available to those in the region, reducing investment and cutting off essential new infrastructure that would support resource development. During President Trump's first administration, consistent with Federal law and local voices, the Department of the Interior finalized plans to make all 1.56 million acres of the Coastal Plain available to oil and gas leasing. Lamentably, in 2024, the Biden administration disregarded local Tribal voices and reversed course, implementing a new Record of Decision that chose the most restrictive alternative, making available the minimal amount of acreage for energy leasing. The Biden administration also included energy-prohibitive stipulations in the ROD designed to undermine energy lease sales in the 10-02 area. These provisions were horrifically successful, as the last lease sale held received no bids. The Biden administration's anti-energy decisions limit economic opportunities for local Alaskans and Alaska Natives living within ANWR. Congress must move to repeal the Biden administration-era ROD that runs counter to congressional intent and unfairly reduces economic opportunities in the region. I thank Representative Begich for his work on H.J. Res. 131 so we can restore common sense to the management of ANWR's vast resources and, again, unleash American energy. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. WESTERMAN

Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on S.J. Res. 80.

Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of S.J. Res. 80, which repeals the Biden administration's 2022 Integrated Activity Plan, or IAP, for the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska, also known as the NPR-A. Under the Naval Petroleum Reserves Production Act of 1976, the approximately 23-million-acre NPR-A was designated by Congress due to its vast energy resources. In 1980, Congress amended the act and directed the Secretary of the Interior to conduct ``an expeditious program of competitive leasing of oil and gas in the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska.'' In 2020, in President Trump's first administration, the Bureau of Land Management released its IAP for the NPR-A. The 2020 IAP listened to local voices and opened up access to over 18.5 million acres of the NPR-A for oil and gas leasing. Over 13 million acres were made available for new infrastructure development. Nagruk Harcharek, president of the Voice of the Arctic Inupiat, stated in a September 2023 Natural Resources Committee hearing that: ``We also felt heard when BLM released an NPR-A Integrated Activity Plan (IAP) in June 2020 that considered the interests of our communities, including future community infrastructure needs.'' The IAP outlining management activities for natural resources throughout the NPR-A was thoughtfully crafted by the first Trump administration, taking into account the voices of local indigenous Tribal communities. Regrettably, in 2022, the Biden administration replaced the 2020 IAP with a new one, reducing the available acreage for oil and gas leasing by 37 percent and reducing areas available to new infrastructure by over 2.3 million acres. In November 2023, during another hearing on the matter, we heard from Commissioner John Boyle of the Alaska Department of Natural Resources, who expressed concerns about the Biden administration's NPR-A rulemaking process. ``The process to date has been confusingly deficient as the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has scheduled and canceled public meetings on short notice, avoided consultation obligations, and attempted to avoid procedural safeguards that are meant to keep rulemakings of enormous public cost and consequence from being hastily and arbitrarily implemented. Neither comprehensive environmental nor economic reviews have been completed for a proposal that will dramatically change environmental and economic management in what may be the largest Federal petroleum asset in the country.'' In that same hearing, Mr. Harcharek shared: ``This decision, coupled with further `protections' for NPR-A, will undoubtedly shrink the economic opportunities available to the North Slope. It virtually guarantees to set us back on our journey toward self-determination by requiring further reliance on the Federal and State government to provide for the basic needs of the people on the North Slope.'' Ultimately, the Biden administration stymied energy production within the NPR-A and failed to offer leases in a manner that would boost revenue and provide economic stability to the region and the State. The most recent lease sale in the NPR-A took place in 2019, when the BLM leased over 1 million acres, generating more than $11 million, including roughly $5.6 million for the State of Alaska. Revenue from developing these resources is essential to the livelihoods of all Alaskans. For example, in fiscal year 2022, Alaskan oil and natural gas production, largely driven by the consequences of the pro-energy policies of the first Trump administration, generated $4.5 billion in State and local revenue and supported over 69,250 direct and indirect jobs. Alaska's role as a leader in unleashing American energy dominance will continue. In the Working Families Tax Cut Act, Congress highlighted the importance of the NPR-A and required five lease sales to be held in the area over the next 10 years. To ensure our energy independence, we must unleash American energy and ensure access to our own resources here at home. This legislation is an important step in doing just that. I thank Representative Begich and Senator Sullivan for their work to bring S.J. Res. 80 to the House floor so that we can nullify yet another misguided Biden-era action and take another step to put our Nation's energy policy back on the right track. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I point out that, while the current administration did recently rescind the 2024 rule this month, passage of a CRA is still necessary to prevent a future administration from, again, weaponizing IAPs similar to this one that ignore congressional intent. By replacing the 2022 IAP, BLM wouldn't be left in limbo. They would revert back to the initial IAP finalized under the first Trump administration, which did take into account Native Tribal voices, and it is consistent with the requirements included in the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Alaska (Mr. Begich), the lead sponsor of the House companion to this legislation.

Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. Mr. Speaker, it has been stated that gas and energy prices won't be reduced by passing this CRA, and I contend that they will because overturning these rules would incentivize much-needed investment throughout the State or the entire North Slope. The regional impacts of increased energy production in Alaska cannot be overstated. Refineries in the region, including California and Washington, are equipped to handle Alaskan oil, and the refinery in Kenai produces most of the State of Alaska's gasoline. The North Pole refinery provides jet fuel for our military, amongst other aviation fuels. Two other refineries located in Valdez and near Fairbanks also produce diesel and heating fuels. Let me point out that 3 out of 10 State households in Alaska rely on fuel oil, kerosene, or propane for home heating. You may ask why they would rely on these fuels that are traditionally more expensive when Alaska has trillions of cubic feet of natural gas. That is because that natural gas is on the North Slope, and even in the city of Anchorage, they are running out of natural gas because they can't move the gas from the North Slope and can't develop infrastructure. Not only can they not meet their own needs with that gas, they certainly can't export it to our allies. As many have shared, the NPR-A is essential to unleashing American energy dominance and sustaining economies throughout Alaska. Congress must also act to undo the harm that the previous administration imposed, and we must work to unlock the estimated 8.7 billion barrels of oil and 25 trillion cubic feet of natural gas the NPR-A holds. By repealing this decision, we can help uphold Tribal voices and revert to the 2020 IAP that considered their meaningful input. Letting these plans to shut down energy production in the NPR-A linger would be devastating to Alaskans, especially the Native communities on the North Slope. Without jobs, people may leave these communities, jeopardizing the culture and social fabric of the region. We cannot afford to let this happen. We must pass S.J. Res. 80. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support passage of this important legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I would submit that a recipe for disaster is when an administration goes out on their own, goes around the laws that Congress passed, and implements bad rules on their way out the door and expects no repercussions from that. I would say a recipe for good governance is when Congress acts within their power to disapprove of these rules, and that is exactly what we are doing with the CRA to make sure that these rules are followed. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time. I am prepared to close, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I am prepared to close, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. WESTERMAN

Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time to close. Since my colleague mentioned the SPEED Act, which we will be marking up in committee on Thursday, even though it is not on the floor today, I will put in a shameless plug for our bipartisan legislation that is not only tech neutral, but it is agnostic to the project, the project type. It would definitely help us produce more energy in America, and it will also help us to build things in America again, something we desperately need to do. We will debate that Thursday, and, hopefully, some day we will be out here debating it on the floor. This particular RMPA that is on the floor today is because the Biden administration, on their way out, pushed something through by rule that they could never get passed into law. The CRA, I remind you, is so that Congress can exert its legislative authority over an administrative agency or over an administration. I would remind future administrations not to make dumb rules when they are going out the door or somebody in Congress will be standing here maybe on the other side of the aisle doing a CRA to turn back the rulemaking ability that is not lawmaking, as we are instructed to do in the Constitution as the legislative branch. Mr. Speaker, in response to the actual RMPA that we are talking about, the CRA on it today, now is the time to unleash American energy. The Buffalo Field Office resource management plan would not only devastate Wyoming's energy workforce but it would raise prices nationwide. We are in a competition. We are in a competition with China that certainly hasn't backed off on building coal-fired plants. As a matter of fact, they are building at a rate of about one every 2 or 3 days coming online because they know they need reliable energy. They need affordable energy. They need that to establish their manufacturing dominance and to beat us in the race for AI. Mr. Speaker, we can't allow that to happen. Even though China produces twice as much electricity as we do today, we shouldn't discriminate against any energy source. We should try to produce as much energy as we can so that we can win in that competition. By passing this CRA, we are restoring the BLM's multiple use and sustained yield mandate and preventing future administrations from locking up America's natural resources. The era of curtailing multiple uses of our Federal lands hopefully is over. It is time to usher in a golden age of unleashing our energy and mineral resources. Mr. Speaker, I urge adoption of this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.J. Res. 130, which would repeal the Bureau of Land Management's misguided resource management plan, or RMP, amendment for the Buffalo Field Office in Wyoming, which was finalized in the twilight hours of the Biden-Harris administration. Wyoming's Powder River Basin currently supplies 40 percent of the Nation's coal. The RMP amendment in question effectively halted future Federal coal leasing across a region in Wyoming larger than New Jersey and located in the heart of America's coal country. Without repeal, the RMP amendment will end coal production in the region entirely by 2041 and close 12 active mines. The RMP amendment is a death blow to America's energy security, Wyoming's workers, and the economic backbone of the State itself. It is projected that U.S. electricity demand will grow by as much as 128 gigawatts through 2029, and global energy demand is expected to double by 2050. Coal is reliable, affordable, and essential to meet the increasing power demands of the AI revolution and advanced manufacturing. The RMP amendment locked up an astonishing 48 billion short tons of coal. That is enough to meet U.S. coal demand for the next 116 years. Mr. Speaker, 92 percent of Wyoming's coal is exported to other States, helping keep the lights on and utility prices affordable in distant places as far as Texas, Illinois, and my home State of Arkansas. Nationwide, residential electricity prices have increased by 13 percent since 2022, and overturning misguided policies like this RMP amendment will help make the cost of living more affordable for families across America. It is time to unleash our domestic resources to put this money back into the pockets of American families by repealing the Biden administration's anti-American energy policies. What is more, instead of working with the State, the Biden administration blatantly ignored local opposition at every stage of this process and rammed this RMP amendment through to appease environmental extremists. The Biden administration provided a limited opportunity for public comment or engagement on this RMP amendment. Wyoming's Governor, a unified congressional delegation, locally elected officials, Tribes, and local communities all expressed strong opposition to this plan amendment. The previous administration ignored them all. According to local representatives, it is suspect and disturbing that such a dramatic change to the current land use plan would solicit such little engagement during the public comment period. Campbell and Johnson County commissioners who represent the local communities affected by this plan stated that whatever information they provided to the BLM in this process was ignored by the Federal agency. Overturning the RMP amendment takes power from bureaucrats in Washington, D.C., and returns it to the people of Wyoming. The BLM also ignored Tribal input in developing this RMP amendment. The Navajo Transitional Energy Company, which is wholly owned by the Navajo Nation, provided detailed comments opposing this amendment. They were all dismissed by the BLM. In a letter they submitted to the agency, they stated: ``BLM consistently downplayed the reasonably foreseeable negative impacts of the mines' closures on the surrounding social justice communities. And it did not even consider the jobs lost in the downstream communities that rely on the [Powder River Basin] coal.'' Energy security is national security, and Wyoming's energy industry remains indispensable to ensuring that America stays energy dominant. Wyoming's Powder River Basin, with its low-sulfur coal, produces the world's cleanest burning coal. We should be focused on exporting this abundant natural resource to our allies abroad, not burying this baseload power under layers of bureaucracy. By passing this CRA today, we are advancing President Trump's executive orders on unleashing American energy and reinvigorating America's coal industry. We are also restoring hundreds of millions of dollars in future revenue for Wyoming's K-12 public education system and protecting more than 4,000 high-paying jobs in rural Wyoming. In conjunction with the pro-energy policies included in the working families tax cut law, this CRA also has the potential to generate more than $260 million for the Federal Treasury. This CRA helps the U.S. remain energy dominant and will lower prices for families, strengthen our economy, and boost real wages for hardworking men and women. I urge my colleagues to stand with Wyoming, stand with American workers, and stand for energy security by supporting this resolution. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.J. Res. 130.

Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I sincerely appreciate the birthday wishes from my friend across the aisle. That means a lot to me. If I had a birthday wish of my own, it would be to make energy more affordable for the American people, to help the good folks of Wyoming to have a livelihood and to not only keep prices down, but keep good- paying jobs across this country that are in the energy industry. We know that we need more energy going forward. We need more electrons on the grid. We need a larger grid. We need to all work together to do those things, but if this resource management plan amendment by the previous administration was balanced, I would hate to see a heavy- handed resource management plan amendment by the previous administration because this took a sledgehammer to an established industry in the State of Wyoming. I am sure my distinguished colleague from the great State of Wyoming, Representative Hageman, who is the lead sponsor of this legislation, will go into detail what this would mean to Wyoming if this plan amendment stays in place. Mr. Speaker, I yield 6 minutes to the gentlewoman from Wyoming (Ms. Hageman).

Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 879, I call up the joint resolution (H.J. Res. 130) providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Bureau of Land Management relating to ``Buffalo Field Office Record of Decision and Approved Resource Management Plan Amendment'', and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.

Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, it has been mentioned that U.S. coal is dying. U.S. coal is being murdered. There has been an attack on it for many years, and some people will not stop until they see it gone. That would be to our own demise because we depend so much on the energy not only from coal but from natural gas. We need more nuclear power. We need more hydropower. We need all kinds of new power, and this isn't the time to be attacking our fuel sources. We will have a debate on the Arctic Slope and the Coastal Plain, but when we are talking about Wyoming, we are talking about coal and really the backbone of our electrical generating and distribution system. I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Stauber), the chairman of the Energy and Mineral Resources Subcommittee of the Natural Resources Committee.

Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I am prepared to close and continue to reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. WESTERMAN

Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, it's an honor to be asked to say a few words to celebrate such a remarkable organization that truly lives up to its name: High Impact Movement. Amos and his wife, Carol, along with every mentor and volunteer who selflessly give their own time and energy, are making lasting differences and creating deep impacts in the lives of students and their families. They not only uplift and encourage the youth who come here every day but also strengthen the entire community by shaping the minds of our future leaders and dedicated public servants. While the team's work is certainly outstanding, this address is about something far greater; it's about why their work matters. It's about highlighting the importance of investing in our youth, taking pride in their potential, and looking ahead to the future they will, in turn, build. In 1984, President Ronald Reagan gave remarks to the Representatives of the United States International Youth Year Commission. In his speech, he said, ``I believe you all know--or you wouldn't be here--the importance of our youth to the future peace, security, and well-being of our Nation and the world.'' He then goes on to say, ``There's a spark in all of us which, if struck early enough, can light up our lives, elevate our ideals, and deepen our tolerance and strengthen our determination to make this world a better place. You couldn't make a better investment in America's future.'' Investing in Arkansas' future, igniting that spark, starts here. This is why programs like High Impact Movement are so important not only for our young people, but for the future of our great state. As you continue to pour into our youth, you are also investing in the future of our communities, where the impacts will be seen for generations to come. And for that I am deeply grateful. High Impact Movement is proof that when you invest in others, whether it be through tutoring a student after school, sharing valuable life lessons through mentorship, or just encouraging a young person to be the best that they can be, you'll find that the results have an impact that echoes far into the future. One of my favorite quotes hangs just above the Speaker's rostrum on the House Floor. Two hundred years ago, Daniel Webster addressed a few hundred Revolutionary War veterans and spectators at the Battle of Bunker Hill was memorial groundbreaking. In his oration, he said, ``Let us develop the resources of our land, call forth its powers, build up its institutions, promote all its great interests, and see whether we also in our day and generation may not perform something worthy to be remembered. '' I'd like to take a moment to reflect on the call to action Mr. Webster gave at the end of this portion of his speech. While his audience may have only been a few hundred people on a field in the middle of summer 200 years ago, his audience continues to grow with each generation. As his audience today, in 2025, we are now the ones being tapped to do something worthy to be remembered. With your heart for service and dedication to our community, people like you are undoubtedly taking up that mantle. I take deep pride in knowing that the future of the 4th District of Arkansas is bright because of the people proudly representing High Impact Movement. People who invest in our youth, pour into their families, and strengthen our communities through their time, compassion, and leadership. Their dedicated work today leaves an indelible mark on tomorrow, so let me encourage you to press onward as you selflessly dedicate your time to serving your community.

Mr. WESTERMAN

Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that when the House adjourns today, it adjourn to meet at noon on Monday next for morning-hour debate and 2 p.m. for legislative business.

Mr. WESTERMAN

Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, as we wrap up today on this final RMP, I include in the Record this GAO report that found that the RMP is subject to the CRA. U.S. Government Accountability Office, Washington, DC, June 25, 2025. Matter of U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management--Applicability of the Congressional Review Act to North Dakota Field Office Record of Decision and Approved Resource Management Plan File B-337175

Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, when we talk about lawsuits, there are already lawsuits that are being created because of this bad resource management plan that the former administration put in place. After we do the CRA and we prevent this administration or future administrations from putting a similar resource management plan in place without it coming back to Congress, then maybe the current administration and Secretary Burgum can write a new resource management plan that actually makes sense, that actually takes into account America's need for energy, and that actually listens to the people in these States where these resources reside. While they are doing that, the previous resource management plan would be in existence. Again, it is just fear-mongering to say that there will basically be no rules if this resource management plan gets removed under the Congressional Review Act. Again, I thank the gentlewoman from North Dakota for her leadership on this important issue. The North Dakota RMP will have devastating ramifications not just in North Dakota but beyond. This CRA which rejects the failed energy policies of the previous administration is in alignment with the current administration's executive orders on unleashing American energy and reinvigorating America's coal industry. In combination with the provisions that Republicans enacted through the reconciliation bill, this CRA will ensure that American energy remains affordable, reliable, and abundant. America's future is bright as we unleash responsible natural resources development to meet our energy and mineral leads, to create jobs, and to drive economic growth across the country. Mr. Speaker, I urge adoption of this resolution, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield an additional 1 minute to the gentlewoman from North Dakota.

Mr. WESTERMAN

Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time to close. This CRA is crucial to unleashing Alaska's abundant natural resources. It will unleash billions of dollars' worth of oil, natural gas, and critical minerals that are critical not only to Alaska's economy and security but also to the economic and energy security of the United States and will extend further to our allies around the world. This is a very important issue. This CRA shifts land management back to Alaskans and away from NGOs and environmentalists in the lower 48 who have had way too much of an oversized impact on the decisions made in Alaska. It is essential to projects that will create tens of thousands of jobs, generate billions of dollars in revenue for the U.S. Treasury and the State of Alaska, and again make our Nation less reliant on hostile foreign nations. I commend Representative Begich once again for his work on this effort. He is a tremendous and fierce advocate for Alaska. Through his efforts, we are helping President Trump and his administration advance executive orders and usher in the golden age of American and Alaskan energy dominance. Mr. Speaker, I urge adoption of this joint resolution, and I yield back the balance of my time.