We are shocked by this administration's decision to sell 80 million acres of public waters to ExxonMobil, BP, and other polluters less than a week after COP26.

As such, building even one new oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico will deepen the climate crisis, disproportionately imperiling low-income communities and communities of color in the process.

Reducing emissions from fossil fuel production has been an area of bipartisan agreement on this Subcommittee.

The Earth's 7 hottest years on record have all occurred since 2015.

The Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources will come to order.

Gulf Coast communities are also on the front lines of climate change, and sea-level rise, erosion, flooding, and more powerful storms will continue to wreak havoc until we reduce our emissions.

We are also concerned that the administration has not been forthcoming with the public about its reasons for moving forward with Lease Sale 257.

The November Gulf of Mexico lease sale... demonstrates that the Biden administration has not yet found the political courage necessary to confront the realities of climate change.

Both Congress and the Biden administration must do more to ensure that the management of our public waters aligns with the commitment to reduce emissions.

To protect the nation from catastrophic climate impacts, and to ensure this administration continues to meet its historic commitments to environmental and racial justice, we urge you to immediately reject the bids or suspend the offshore leases under Lease Sale 257 in the Gulf of Mexico.

Thank you for keeping our WRDA needs front and center.