(ReliableNews.org) – President Joe Biden’s administration has introduced multiple rules and policies related to the oil and gas industry. That includes a Bureau of Land Management (BLM) rule that was part of the bipartisan Inflation Reduction Act. Two Republican lawmakers have introduced a resolution to block that rule.
On June 22, a final rule for the BLM will take effect that relates to rentals, royalty rates, and minimum bids for oil and gas leases on federal lands. The rule also updates the bonding requirements for development, leasing, and production on that land. The administration claimed the rule clarified “BLM’s leasing process by ensuring proper stewardship of public lands and resources.” The rule will increase the fees and royalties that companies pay to produce oil and gas on federal lands. Republicans say that will unfairly hurt the oil and gas industry, something they believe Biden is determined to do.
At the end of May, Republican Reps. Lauren Boebert (CO) and Harriet Hageman (WY) introduced a resolution to terminate the BLM’s final Fluid Mineral Leases and Leasing Process rule. Boebert accused “Green New Deal activists” of killing the coal industry and taking down high-paying jobs in Colorado. She said President Biden is now trying to impede responsible fossil fuel production by implementing the new rule that the congresswoman alleges attacks the law, small businesses, and production and will lead to higher gas costs.
Boebert talked about the benefits of the oil and gas industry on Colorado’s economy and schools. She slammed the Biden administration for not recognizing the benefits of the industry.
Hageman, a freshman congresswoman who beat former Rep. Liz Cheney, said the rule would devastate the industry in her state. She said the vast majority, 85%, of the oil and gas operators there are small and locally owned. Hageman accused the president of “doing everything in [his] power to eliminate fossil fuels.”
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