On the recordJanuary 26, 2023
This bill requires the Secretary of Energy to consult with the Secretary of Agriculture, the Secretary of the Interior, and the Secretary of Defense to develop a plan to increase the percentage of Federal lands leased for oil and gas production when drawdowns are made on the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. Should this bill become law, I believe this interagency coordination will be paramount to ensuring the Federal lands leasing strategy is carried out in a thoughtful and scrupulous way. To that end, my amendment will require that the Director of the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency are also formally included in the Energy Secretary's consultation process as the leasing plan is formulated. Mr. Chair, I hope my colleagues on both sides of the aisle will vote with me in favor of this amendment to ensure greater interagency collaboration and due diligence on such important matters before us. Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.
