Bruce Westerman

Mr. WESTERMAN

Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, this idea that Alaska native Vietnam-era veterans can't select lands is just factually inaccurate and fear-mongering. Congress has already statutorily codified the Alaska Native Vietnam- era Veterans Land Allotment Program in 2019. Nothing in this CRA repeals those requirements under the 2019 law. In fact, the House just passed a 5-year extension of this program in July. To suggest that we are now somehow unsupportive of this program is ludicrous. Congress is using the CRA for this RMP because there weren't enough public land order revocations, not because there were too many. Keeping the withdrawal revocations for Alaska native Vietnam-era veterans and adding new withdrawal revocations would be entirely consistent with the CRA. The argument is ironic coming from my colleagues on the other side of the aisle as Secretary Haaland unnecessarily delayed the implementation of this program for years, despite strong demands from the Alaska delegation that outdated PLOs be lifted so land selections could begin. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Alaska (Mr. Begich) who understands this better than anyone.

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

Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I will point out the great work that my colleague from Alaska has done on this issue and the potential that is in Alaska. We had the Committee on Natural Resources up there last week, and we had a bipartisan group there turning around and looking at all of the many, many resources that are in Alaska, the vast size of Alaska, and the burdens that the Federal Government has put on the State and really, I think, fallen short of living up to the promises that were made when Alaska became a State. We talked about Native Americans and their input in the process. Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record this letter from Doyon Limited. Doyon, Limited, Fairbanks, AK, July 21, 2025. Hon. Nicholas J. Begich III House of Representatives, Washington, DC. Dear Representative Begich: Thank you for introducing H.J. Res. 106, to disapprove the November 12, 2024, Central Yukon Record of Decision and Approved Resource Management Plan (Central Yukon RMP). Doyon, Limited (Doyon) strongly supports this joint resolution and urges Congress's and the President's swift action to reject this misguided and harmful planning decision. Doyon is a major stakeholder in the Bureau of Land Management's (BLM) Central Yukon RMP planning process. Many large tracts of lands that were conveyed to Doyon under the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA) are surrounded by, or abut, BLM-managed public lands. Doyon owns substantial interests in the Central Yukon Planning Area, holding an ownership interest in approximately 4.65 million acres. In addition, it has selected an additional 127,000 acres in the Planning Area under ANCSA that have not yet been conveyed. Doyon's land base shares approximately 3,000 miles of border with BLM lands--potentially more than any other Indigenous landowner in the nation. Consistent with ANCSA's intent, much of the land that Doyon selected was selected for its economic development potential. As Doyon explained to BLM throughout the Central Yukon RMP planning process, further enveloping Doyon's lands within new or expanded Areas of Critical Environmental Concern (ACECs) and other restrictive land designations, and otherwise imposing restrictions on use of surrounding lands, will further complicate access to and use of Doyon lands, and potentially prevent Doyon from fully realizing the economic and other benefits that Congress intended it would enjoy as a result of ANCSA's settlement of aboriginal land claims. In addition, because oil and gas, mineral, and other resource prospects often straddle federal, state, and/or private lands, the more that BLM planning processes place lands off limits to multiple uses, the more likely resource development opportunities will be unavailable on Doyon (and other non- federal) lands in the vicinity, impeding Doyon's ability to make economically productive use of its lands as Congress intended when it settled aboriginal land claims in Alaska. The management decisions made in the 2024 Central Yukon RMP also will have long-term implications for communications, electric transmission, and other infrastructure activities in the region, adding further obstacles to what already are extraordinary challenges to connecting rural communities in Alaska. Doyon devoted significant resources to engaging with BLM over the course of the Central Yukon RMP planning process to ensure that the result of that process reflects the principles of multiple use and sustained yield established under the Federal Land Policy and Management Act, as well as the unique framework that Congress established in Alaska under ANCSA and Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act (ANILCA). Unfortunately, despite these concerted efforts of Doyon and others, the 2024 plan fails to do that. Key flaws justifying congressional disapproval of the 2024 Central Yukon RMP--as further detailed in the protest that Doyon submitted in response to the Central Yukon Proposed Resource Management Plan and Final Environmental Impact Statement released by BLM on April 19, 2024--include the following: The 2024 Central Yukon RMP improperly designates certain ACECs/Research Natural Areas by including areas that do not meet applicable requirements for designation and management of ACECs and improperly determines special management attention is required. It also improperly designates ACECs that effectively surround or restrict access to Doyon- conveyed lands, as well as that include Doyon-selected lands. The 2024 Central Yukon RMP fails to appropriately address impacts of right-of-way exclusion and avoidance areas on access and other activities. The 2024 Central Yukon RMP fails to adequately and appropriately address access rights guaranteed under Section 1323(b) and Title XI of ANILCA. The 2024 Central Yukon RMP inappropriately concludes that hypothetical future development of mineral deposits in the Ambler Mining District, Wiseman East and West deposits, and the Ray Mountains could ``significantly restrict subsistence uses and have a disproportionate negative impact'' on certain ``environmental justice communities'' as well as ``significantly restrict subsistence uses for'' certain communities. The 2024 Central Yukon RMP fails to fully consider potential impacts of designating certain lands as Visual Resource Management (VRM) Class II and redesignate them as VRM Class III or IV. The 2024 Central Yukon RMP improperly ignores the long history of BLM's calling for the lifting of the ANCSA 17(d)(1) withdrawals and fails to provide a rational explanation for retaining those withdrawals other than for the limited purposes of selection by Alaska Native Vietnam- era veterans. The 2024 Central Yukon RMP violated the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) in adopting a new alternative not made available to the public for review and comment and in not providing the public an opportunity to provide informed comment after correction of an error in stated ANCSA 17(d)(1) acreages. We appreciate your efforts to move forward with disapproval of the 2024 Central Yukon RMP and we urge Congress and the President to move quickly to enact this joint resolution. Please let us know if you have any questions or if we can provide any additional information. Sincerely, Sarah E. Obed, SVP External Affairs Doyon, Limited.

Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I will read from this letter to show what is really happening in Alaska. It says: ``Doyon strongly supports this joint resolution and urges Congress' and the President's swift action to reject this misguided and harmful planning decision. ``Many large tracts of lands that were conveyed to Doyon under the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act [ANCSA] are surrounded by, or abut, BLM-managed public lands. Doyon owns substantial interests in the Central Yukon Planning Area, holding an ownership interest in approximately 4.65 million acres. ``Doyon's land base shares approximately 3,000 miles of border with BLM lands--potentially more than any other indigenous landowner in the Nation. Consistent with ANCSA's intent, much of the land that Doyon selected was selected for its economic development potential. ``As Doyon explained to BLM throughout the Central Yukon RMP planning process, further enveloping Doyon's lands within new or expanded Areas of Critical Environmental Concern [ACECs] and other restrictive land designations, and otherwise imposing restrictions on use of surrounding lands, will further complicate access to and use of Doyon lands, and potentially prevent Doyon from fully recognizing the economic and other benefits that Congress intended it would enjoy as a result of ANCSA's settlement of aboriginal land claims.'' That is from the people who were affected on the ground by this misguided resource management plan that the previous administration put in place. It is an honor to be here today to be able to use the CRA to, hopefully, reverse that plan and prevent other administrations in the future, from either party, from putting such ridiculous management plans in place. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 672, I call up the joint resolution (H.J. Res. 106) 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 ``Central Yukon Record of Decision and Approved Resource Management Plan'', and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.

Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.J. Res. 106.

Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.J. Res. 106, a Congressional Review Act resolution led by Congressman Nick Begich of Alaska. This CRA reverses a resource management plan, or RMP, for the central Yukon region in Alaska, which locked up an astonishing 13.3 million acres of land. Alaska is crucial to our national security and economic prosperity. In 2020, President Trump announced a draft RMP for the central Yukon that, among other provisions, revoked Public Land Order 5150 and unleashed American energy. For more than a decade, the State of Alaska has worked on this RMP to revoke Public Land Order 5150, which would unlock millions of acres of land from restrictive, de facto wilderness management and return it to multiple use. Unfortunately, the previous administration reversed this decision against the wishes of Alaskans and finalized a new RMP that enshrined Public Land Order 5150. On his first day in office in 2025, President Trump issued Executive Order No. 14153 on ``Unleashing Alaska's Extraordinary Resource Potential,'' which directly called for repealing the Biden administration's central Yukon RMP. This CRA advances President Trump's executive order. Why is this CRA so important? Revoking Public Land Order 5150 is the first step in allowing the State of Alaska to acquire lands that are critical to two essential projects: Ambler Road and the Alaska LNG pipeline. Currently, our adversaries have a choke hold on worldwide mineral supply chains. Alaska, our 49th State, has rich deposits of 49 out of the 50 minerals on the critical minerals list. With such abundant resources in our own backyard, it should be appalling to every American that the United States relies 100 percent on imports for 12 of the 50 critical minerals on the critical minerals list. What is more, our Nation is 50 percent net import reliant for an additional 29 critical minerals on the list. The smartphones that we carry around every day in our pockets contain 15 critical minerals. Computers, home appliances, and batteries all rely on critical minerals. The Ambler Mining District in Alaska is home to some of the largest deposits of these minerals, including copper, cobalt, and zinc. Just four deposits in the Ambler Mining District alone have an estimated resource value of $26 billion. Currently, there is no way to access these minerals. To do so, we need to construct Ambler Road. Last year, the Biden administration denied a permit for Ambler Road, effectively preventing Alaskans from developing their own resources. Passing this CRA is the first step in allowing Alaska to acquire these lands outright, creating long-term certainty for this project. Constructing this road and allowing access to the Ambler Mining District is expected to create thousands of new jobs and produce $1.1 billion of revenue for Alaska. Road construction alone will create more than 350 jobs, creating economic opportunity desperately needed in rural Alaska. Keep in mind, this is only one project unlocked by this CRA. This CRA will also help the advancement of the Alaska LNG pipeline project. Global demand for energy is expected to double by 2050, and our domestic energy production must rise to meet that demand. With the rise of data centers and AI fueling this growth, it is more important than ever that we produce energy here at home rather than ceding energy dominance to hostile foreign nations like China and Russia. Once online, the project will produce 3.5 billion cubic feet of natural gas daily and sustain more than 10,000 jobs. Through this project, Alaskans will gain long-term and affordable gas for home heating and industrial needs. Currently, the gas supply for Alaska from the Cook Inlet is uncertain, and local utilities are evaluating alternate supplies, including importing LNG. It goes against all common sense to import LNG into Alaska when the State is blessed with abundant resources that can supply the State and beyond. Every action must be taken to provide North Slope-produced gas to Alaskans for their home heating and local industry needs. In addition to providing gas to Alaska, the Alaska LNG pipeline will be able to export 20 million tons of LNG yearly, reaching our Asian allies in 6 days with no strategic choke points. It is no exaggeration to say that creating this pipeline is one of the most crucial steps we can take to counter China's influence in the Indo-Pacific. Earlier this year, I led a bipartisan congressional delegation to Taiwan, Japan, and South Korea. Taiwan has already signed a letter of intent with the State of Alaska to purchase Alaskan LNG, and both Japan and South Korea are deeply interested in pursuing American energy from Alaska as well as other Pacific Rim nations. The message we heard at each stop was universal and resounding: Without certainty in the timeline and our permitting system, these countries won't be able to buy our energy. Make no mistake, these are our allies, and they desperately want to buy American. They would much rather get their energy from the North Slope than from China and Russia, the friends of North Korea. Today's CRA is the first step in providing energy certainty to Alaska and our allies abroad. We are taking strong, decisive action to remove barriers that prevent us from accessing our own energy and minerals. By unleashing Alaska's extraordinary resource potential, we are providing energy certainty and affordability to Alaska and creating thousands of well-paying jobs, generating billions of dollars in revenue for Federal and State coffers, and keeping America and our allies safe from foreign adversaries. I commend Representative Begich, the entire Alaska delegation, and Governor Dunleavy for their work on this effort. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the joint resolution, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. WESTERMAN

Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 672, I call up the joint resolution (H.J. Res. 105) 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 ``North Dakota Field Office Record of Decision and Approved Resource Management Plan'', and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.

Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.J. Res. 105.

Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.J. Res. 105, led by Representative Fedorchak of North Dakota. This Congressional Review Act resolution reverses a resource management plan, or an RMP, finalized in the waning days of the last administration that locked up more than 4 million acres of land in North Dakota. Astonishingly, this RMP blocked coal leasing on 99 percent of coal deposits in North Dakota and prohibited oil and gas leasing on an additional 44 percent of Federal land. North Dakota is a top 10 coal-producing State and the number 3 oil and gas producer in the Nation. According to State estimates, North Dakota produces 400 million barrels of oil, 1.1 trillion cubic feet of natural gas, and 27.5 million tons of lignite coal annually. To put this in perspective, North Dakota produces enough natural gas to heat 15 million homes for an entire year, equivalent to 100 billion kilowatt hours of electricity. U.S. electricity consumption is projected to hit an all-time high this year, and electricity demand will grow by as much as 128 gigawatts through 2029. Fueled by new data centers and AI, these estimates of electricity demand are five times higher than earlier forecasts. The United States should be the world leader in energy and mineral production. We are blessed with abundant resources. We have the brightest minds, and we maintain the most rigorous and clean production standards in the world. Yet, the anti-American energy policies pursued by radical environmentalists in the previous administration crippled communities reliant on energy jobs, weakened us on the global stage, and enriched adversarial nations that were able to cash in as we took a back seat in the global energy market. The road to energy dominance and meeting this growing demand runs through North Dakota. Advancing this CRA is the first step in helping to unleash American energy and reinvigorate America's beautiful coal industry, as President Trump has called for in his recent executive orders. This CRA is important not just to the people of North Dakota but also our collective American energy and mineral security. If you have ever worried about your electricity bill or wondered if prices at the pump might cancel a family vacation, then you should care about reversing ill-advised lockups of our energy and mineral resources. Energy production is critically important to the Western way of life, sustaining small rural communities and generating much-needed economic activity. Passing this CRA will save an estimated 12,000 jobs in North Dakota just in the coal industry alone. This CRA is also crucial to prevent an estimated loss of $34 million annually in State revenues from oil and gas production. These funds are used to finance K-12 public education in the State. What does this mean for children in North Dakota? Failing to pass this CRA could result in a $441 reduction in the amount of funds spent on each child's education annually. This means fewer after-school programs, outdated textbooks, and more teachers having to reach into their own pockets to fund basic schoolroom supplies. It should come as no surprise that the previous administration finalized this RMP over the strong objections of the State of North Dakota. The State's concerns were ignored. Instead, the BLM plowed ahead with this harmful RMP. Good land management requires local buy-in and support. This RMP is not supported by North Dakotans. The only people who support this plan are the radical environmentalists who called the shots under the previous administration. I commend our current Secretary of the Interior, Doug Burgum, who is spearheading the administration's efforts to restore energy dominance and listen to rural America. Secretary Burgum was the Governor when this RMP was finalized, and he led the charge in opposing this Biden- era preservationist plan. I have full confidence that under the leadership of President Trump and Secretary Burgum, the BLM will emerge as an agency that works for North Dakotans and all those rural Western Americans who live closest to the lands. I applaud Representative Fedorchak for her leadership on this effort on behalf of her constituents to right this wrong. I also recognize Senators Cramer and Hoeven, as well as my former House colleague and good friend, Governor Kelly Armstrong, for their work in supporting the CRA. This CRA allows us to turn the page on a disgraceful chapter of radical environmentalism pursued at the expense of the American people. H.J. Res. 105 removes the bureaucratic barriers designed to prevent the use of our abundant natural resources. It is an important step necessary to unshackle American energy and minerals and unleash the full potential of our great natural resources. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this joint resolution, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, what is ironic is the fact that Secretary Burgum, when he was the Governor of North Dakota, vehemently opposed this resource management plan, but the prior administration just brushed him off. They didn't care what he thought or what the people of North Dakota thought, just like they didn't care what the Governor of Montana thought, what the Governor of Alaska thought, and what the people who lived in Montana and Alaska thought. All they cared about was what their NGO and environmentalist friends in Washington, D.C., New York, and Los Angeles thought about lands in faraway rural places and how they wanted to impose their will on what happens in these rural areas where our resources abound. Isn't it ironic that the resource management plans for the three States that we are talking about are Alaska, Montana, and North Dakota, States with very large landmasses, with abundant resources, and not a lot of people? That is the definition of rural America. The previous administration was attacking rural America, and they used these misguided resource management plans as their tool to do that. Mr. Speaker, I yield 6 minutes to the gentlewoman from North Dakota (Mrs. Fedorchak), the lead sponsor of this legislation and the only Representative from North Dakota.

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. Mr. Speaker, it is a good thing that we have this tool called the Congressional Review Act that asserts the Article I authority that Congress has. You see, Mr. Speaker, we don't have to go begging a Secretary or asking the administration what actions we take. We get to determine which actions we take, and the Congressional Review Act is one of those tools that we have to take a big hammer to a bad policy. I am glad that we are taking that big hammer to a terrible policy. We are also making it so that a future administration can't enact another bad policy like the ones that were put into place with these three RMPs that we will be addressing today. That is a good thing. It is a good thing that we are focusing on unleashing American energy. The time to do that is now. The time to restore balanced management to our public lands is now. It is now time to put Big Sky Country ahead of Beijing. It is past time that we do that. If allowed to continue, the Miles City RMP amendment developed by the previous administration could have devastating impacts on Montana and the entire U.S. economy. Passing this CRA will help reinvigorate America's coal industry. Also it will unleash American energy. In my district, I have a coal-fired plant that was built in 2010. To my knowledge, that was the last coal-fired plant built in the United States. Again, I mentioned earlier that China is building 120 gigawatts a year. That is one every 2 days, one of those 650-megawatt coal plants every 2 days that they are putting on line. What are we doing with coal plants across America? We have been closing them down. They provide reliable baseload energy. That coal plant in my district that provides energy to businesses and energy to homes can't operate without coal, and that coal comes from the Powder River Basin. When we harness our resources out West and use those, it is a good thing, but when we lock them up, then we keep electricity from being affordable and we keep it from being reliable not just for constituents in Montana but for people all across this country. That is exactly one of the many reasons I am supporting this CRA today. It means affordable, reliable energy. It means improved national security. It means good-paying jobs for rural Americans and millions of dollars in revenue for the U.S. Treasury. Mr. Speaker, I urge the adoption of this bill, 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 have no further requests for time. I am prepared to close, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, the Navajo Transitional Energy Company is the third largest coal producer in the United States and operates three mines in the Powder River Basin. They were strongly opposed to the previous RMP amendment and support this CRA to ``preserve family- sustaining wages for miners, engineers, and support staff across Montana.'' The NTEC also stated that the RMP ``prohibits the leasing of Federal coal, leaving skilled workers questioning the sustainability of the current economic environment. Passing the CRA resolution sends a clear message to families, small businesses, and energy partners that Montana is open for responsible development.'' Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from Wyoming (Ms. Hageman).

Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, in regard to my colleague's request for a colloquy, I will just say that it is necessary to do a CRA because the previous administration issued bad resource management plans. Had they not issued bad resource management plans, then we wouldn't be here today. The thing about a CRA is if Congress passes this law, then another administration can't go back and put it in place. I think that is why my colleagues fear this process of using the CRA because then it would be up to a future Congress to go back and undo what we do in this Congress if we actually pass a Congressional Review Act. Again, we are here today because the Biden administration decided to unbalance the scales and put onerous burdens on States, on our natural resources, and on the ability to produce our energy here. Mr. Speaker, they started it by issuing the bad RMP. Hopefully, we will finish it by passing the CRA. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Colorado (Ms. Boebert).

Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I want to point out that the CRAs do have Tribal consultation. If there wasn't Tribal consultation, it was during the development of the RMP. Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record a letter from the Navajo Transitional Energy Company in support of the CRA repealing the Miles City RMP amendment. Navajo Transitional Energy Company, Broomfield, CO, July 18, 2025. Hon. Steve Daines, U.S. Senate, Washington, DC. Dear Senator Daines: On behalf of over one thousand employees, I write to express my strong support for S.J. Res. 61, which seeks to rescind the 2024 Miles City Resource Management Plan Amendment (``RMPA'') under the Congressional Review Act (``CRA''). Navajo Transitional Energy Company, LLC (``NTEC'') is the third largest thermal coal producer in the United States. NTEC is unique in that it was formed in 2013 by the Navajo Nation to ``promote the development of the Navajo Nation's resources and new sources of energy, power, transmission and attendant resources to develop the economic, financial, social and cultural well-being of the Navajo People and the Navajo Nation.'' See Navajo Nation Council Resolution CAP-20-13 (2013), NTEC is, thus, a Navajo Nation limited liability company with one shareholder, the Navajo Nation. NTEC owns and operates three surface coal mines within the Powder River Basin, including one mine--the Spring Creek Mine--located in Montana and within the U.S. Bureau of Land Management's Miles City Office's Resource Management Planning Area. As NTEC's Chief Executive Officer, I've seen firsthand how the RMPA prohibits the leasing and development of new federal coal. The overwhelming majority of the coal within the RMPA is either federal coal or coal granted to the State of Montana. The RMPA prohibits the development of all such coal because it is physically and economically impossible to only develop coal resources possessed by the State of Montana. The RMPA will hinder not only Montana's economic growth, as well as that of the entire Powder River Basin but also disrupt America's vital energy security well into the future. The current RMPA prohibits the leasing of federal coal, leaving skilled workers questioning the sustainability of the current economic environment. Passing the CRA resolution sends a clear message to families, small businesses, and energy partners that Montana is open for responsible development. I urge the Senate to support S.J. Res. 61 so we can secure Montana's economic future and maintain America's hard fought energy independence. Returning to the 2015 RMP--and allowing leasing that balances energy security with environmental stewardship--will yield these immediate results: A surge in local capital investment as energy companies bid on new leases, stimulating equipment sales and service contracts. Increases to county and state tax revenues to fund schools, roads, and public safety. Job creation not only in mining but also in construction, trucking, and professional services supporting mining operations. Spur millions in royalty payments to state and federal coffers, offsetting budget shortfalls. Preserve family-sustaining wages for miners, engineers, and support staff across Montana. A stable, domestic fuel source that lowers electricity costs for manufacturers and keeps Montana competitive. Securing a domestic fuel source to supply affordable baseload power during a period of unprecedented electricity demand growth and ballooning projected future development. The RMPA unfairly targets coal at the expense of working families and rural economies. Congressional disapproval under the CRA is the swiftest remedy and will pave the way for a thoughtfully drafted future management plan that guarantees the prosperity of the United States, Montana, and individuals. I urge the Senate to vote ``yes'' on this resolution and help safeguard Montana's economic backbone for generations. Thank you for your leadership on this critical issue. Sincerely, Vern K. Lund, Chief Executive Officer.

Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I do have ideological reasons for wanting to lower energy costs across America. The last time I checked at the gas pump, the energy prices are going down there. We are seeing a huge demand for energy across this country that is being driven even more by AI and data centers with unimaginable amounts of energy required for these facilities. I heard about the announcement of a data center that would require the amount of electricity to run the city of Denver five times over in a year. One data center needs that much energy. We see electric prices increase because there is more demand for electricity. We have had horrible energy policy in the past, and we haven't kept up with the demand. The Chinese, on the other hand, are building new coal-fired plants. Every 2 days, they are building a new coal-fired plant, which is even harder to imagine. They are trying to beat us in this race on AI, and they are not going to let energy be the deciding factor on that. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Stauber).

Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.J. Res. 104.

Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 672, I call up the joint resolution (H.J. Res. 104) 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 ``Miles City 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, I rise in strong support of H.J. Res. 104, sponsored by Representative Downing of Montana. This Congressional Review Act resolution would permanently repeal the Bureau of Land Management's misguided resource management plan amendment for the Miles City Field Office in Montana, finalized under the Biden administration. This resource management plan, or RMP, amendment locked up 11.7 million acres of land and mineral estate. To put that in perspective, that is an area roughly the size of the States of Rhode Island, Delaware, Connecticut, and New Jersey combined. RMPs are meant to be collaborative approaches to land management that balance multiple uses, including energy and mineral production, outdoor recreation, grazing, and timber harvesting. When done correctly, RMPs help guide public land management in a way that provides fuel, food, and fiber for the Nation and conserves our natural resources. RMPs manage the resources that are the backbone of western rural economies and support thousands of good-paying jobs. That is what makes the Miles City Resource Management Plan amendment so egregious. This RMP amendment virtually ended future coal leasing across Montana's entire Powder River Basin, dealing a severe blow to America's energy security and threatening Montana jobs and economic growth. The national security and economic importance of this region cannot be overstated. Montana holds nearly 30 percent of our Nation's coal reserves. In total, coal from the Powder River Basin produced in Montana and Wyoming makes up about 85 percent of Federal coal production and 40 percent of overall coal production in the entire United States. Coal is reliable and affordable, and we know we are going to need this critical resource of baseload power as electricity demands continue to skyrocket. If your State has coal, we should be developing it, not burying it under bureaucracy. No one produces coal cleaner or more responsibly than the United States. Nobody understands this better than President Trump, who is reversing the war on American energy and ushering in a new age of energy dominance. He is putting Montana over Moscow and the Powder River Basin over the PRC. By passing the CRA today, we are advancing President Trump's executive orders on unleashing American energy and reinvigorating America's beautiful clean coal industry. The CRA will immediately reinstate future coal leasing and open access to 37.8 billion short tons of coal, enough to meet U.S. demand for the next 73 years. In addition, passing Representative Downing's CRA will unleash Montana's coal industry and generate millions of dollars in revenue for the Federal Government and the State of Montana. According to the Congressional Budget Office, this CRA will generate $16 million in revenue for the Federal Government over the next decade. This resolution also protects approximately $46 million in annual revenue for Montana's K-12 public education system. These estimates are conservative, as they don't account for the thousands of good-paying jobs supported by Montana's coal industry and the broad positive economic effects of producing energy here at home. The CRA isn't just about Montana. Energy security is national security, and Montana's mining industry plays a vital role in ensuring America and our allies maintain a strategic energy advantage over our adversaries. We can be sure of one thing: The people who benefit from America not harnessing our abundant natural resources are currently sitting in Beijing, China, where they are building new coal-fired power plants at the rate of one per week. In this global energy race, we cannot afford to lose. Unleashing American energy should not be a partisan issue. Harnessing and unleashing American energy brings down electricity prices for families and boosts real wages for hardworking Americans who keep our economy running. This CRA is about grid reliability, energy affordability, and ensuring that States across the country have access to dispatchable baseload power, especially during extreme weather and peak demand. It will create jobs, generate millions of dollars in revenue, and provide for our national security. I commend the entire Montana delegation, Representatives Downing and Zinke, and Senators Daines and Sheehy, for their tireless work and leadership on this issue. Mr. Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to support the CRA, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, all Americans should have on the top of their priority list energy security and national security. When we block off millions of acres of land from any kind of energy development, that is something that should come right up to the top of priorities. I heard mention of balance. To think that there was balance in the RMP that the Biden administration put out, especially on this land in Montana, is no kind of balance that I have ever seen. It is totally unbalanced. It locks things down, shuts things off, and leaves the American people to deal with the ramifications of it, with higher energy prices, less reliable energy, and also less national security. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from Montana (Mr. Downing), the lead sponsor of this legislation, who, along with Representative Zinke, knows more about Montana than anybody else in the House.

Mr. WESTERMAN

Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise to shed light on the broken permitting process that creates roadblocks to unleashing American innovation and development while costing more taxpayer dollars with basically nothing to show for the expenses. The Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023 attempted to change course and imposed a 2-year deadline and a 150-page cap on environmental impact statements. However, the Council on Environmental Quality reports that 61 percent of environmental impact statements still take over 2 years to complete. The other two branches of government are taking actions to inject some regulatory common sense into the process. President Trump's ``Unleashing American Energy'' executive order directs Federal agencies to confine NEPA analysis to applicable law, and in May, the Supreme Court ruled unanimously on narrowing the scope of NEPA. It is time for Congress to take bipartisan, bicameral action to fix the broken permitting and regulatory laws so that America can thrive.

Mr. WESTERMAN

Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, this legislation would amend the Miccosukee Reserved Area Act to include the Osceola Camp as part of the Miccosukee Reserved Area. This bill would also help with the important work to mitigate the impact of flooding on the structures in the area. Mr. Speaker, I urge adoption of H.R. 504 and yield back the balance of my time.