Today, Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources Chairman Pete Stauber (R-Minn.) testified before the House Committee on Rules in support of two pieces of legislation that support American energy production and security for the future. Stauber highlighted the importance of supporting energy production on federal lands, preemptively limiting future bans on domestic natural gas production and supporting American energy independence. 

Below are Stauber's full remarks, as prepared.

Thank you, Chairman Cole, for the opportunity to testify today in support of two bills: H.R. 1121, the Protecting American Energy Production Act, and H.R. 6009, the Restoring American Energy Dominance Act.

America is rich in natural resources, and we know how to produce them cleaner, safer, and more responsibly than anywhere else in the world.

The two bills we are discussing today will ensure that onshore American energy production can continue to benefit American families, jobs, our economy, our energy security, and our national security.

H.R. 1121, introduced by Mr. Duncan of South Carolina, would prevent any president from issuing a moratorium on hydraulic fracturing and establish a Sense of Congress that states should regulate hydraulic fracturing on state and private land.

Hydraulic fracturing has been around for almost 100 years, but recent technological improvements and the advent of horizontal drilling have allowed the United States to become a global energy superpower.

We were once worried about running out of oil; now, we are the world's top oil and gas producer.

On the campaign trail, candidate Biden said he would ban fracking. While Biden’s team attempted to walk the statement back due to public backlash, President Biden has continued to wage war on American energy production.

In truth, a ban on hydraulic fracturing would devastate the American economy and force the United States, and the world, to rely on Russia, Iran, and China for energy resources.

Federal efforts to regulate fracking, which is currently adequately regulated by the states, could have an equally devastating impact.

In the Obama administration, the Bureau of Land Management attempted to regulate the practice for federal lands and minerals, but the courts threw out the effort.

H.R.1121 would ensure that the Biden administration could not resurrect this failed Obama policy, or a similar rulemaking, and protect domestic energy production. 

H.R. 6009, introduced by Ms. Boebert of Colorado, would nullify the BLM’s proposed onshore oil and gas leasing regulations.

The regulations put forward by the Biden administration will curtail energy production on federal lands by limiting onshore leasing, reducing flexibility, and increasing fees.

The BLM’s proposed regulations eliminate nationwide bonds while increasing individual bonding requirements 15-fold and statewide bonding requirements 20-fold.

Their rationale for doing this is to protect taxpayers from having to clean up orphaned wells. Based on these significant increases, one would think there is an orphaned well crisis on BLM lands. 

In fact, the opposite is true. According to the Department of the Interior, there are only 37 orphaned wells on BLM lands, and the Department has only called in bonds 40 times over the last decade.  

The proposed regulations also introduce new and vague preference criteria for evaluating onshore oil and gas leasing.

The criteria purport to avoid conflict in areas with ’sensitive cultural, wildlife, and recreation resources.’

However, the criteria are vaguely defined and could significantly reduce leasing, thereby threatening the longevity of the entire onshore oil and gas leasing program.

The proposed regulations are another attempt by this administration to cease energy production on federal lands. H.R. 6009 would stop BLM’s proposed regulations before they increase energy costs and threaten American energy production, American jobs and our national security.

Both H.R. 1121 and H.R. 6009 had a hearing and a markup in the Committee on Natural Resources. They have regular order behind them in the committee, and I support them moving to the floor. 

I urge the Rules Committee to report out an appropriate rule to allow for the bills’ consideration in the House and I urge my colleagues to support the legislation.

Thank you.

Background

H.R. 1121, the Protecting American Energy Production Act, introduced by U.S. Rep. Jeff Duncan (R-S.C.), expresses the Sense of Congress that states should maintain their own autonomy and decision-making authority for the regulation of hydraulic fracking for oil and natural gas production on state and private lands. It also prohibits the president from declaring a moratorium on the use of hydraulic fracking unless authorized by Congress.

Click here for a more detailed overview of the bill. 

H.R. 6009, the Restoring American Energy Dominance Act, introduced by U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.), requires the Bureau of Land Management to withdraw a proposed Biden administration onshore oil and gas leasing rule that would significantly increase and create new fees for oil and gas production on federal lands, shutting down small businesses and driving up energy costs for American consumers. 

Click here for a more detailed overview of the bill.