Today, House Committee on Natural Resources Ranking Member Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.) and Republican Conference Chairwoman Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) traveled around Wyoming to hear from local energy industry stakeholders, tour both an active mine and reclaimed mine land, meet with leaders in the forest products industry and more. 

"Lawmakers should never get so used to legislating that they forget who is feeling the effects of our nation’s laws and regulations," Westerman said. "Unfortunately we've seen this happen repeatedly under the Biden administration, where D.C. bureaucrats implement sweeping energy and environmental changes that put thousands of Americans out of work and radically impact rural communities. This is why I was so grateful to Rep. Cheney for inviting me to her home state to hear from the men and women affected by Biden's energy and forest management policies and learn how we can better equip them to create economic opportunities in rural America. Communities like Gillette are the backbone of American energy independence, and it's imperative we invest in technology and infrastructure that enables us to produce U.S. energy cleaner, cheaper and faster than ever. My thanks to Rep. Cheney for organizing this visit, and I look forward to seeing more of Wyoming's incredible public lands and energy resources soon."

“The people of Wyoming – not bureaucrats in Washington – know what’s best for Wyoming,” Cheney said. “President Biden’s executive orders attacking our energy industry are heartless, heavy-handed federal mandates that make it tougher for people to make ends meet, deprive our state of critical revenue and prevent us from taking full advantage of our land and natural resources. Instead of Democrats’ deeply misguided approach, we should be advancing legislation that allows the energy industry to create jobs, boost our economy, provide consumers with an affordable and reliable power source and protect our national security interests. I’m honored that Ranking Member Westerman would join me to hear directly from the individuals who have been negatively impacted by the Biden administration’s dangerous policies. I want to thank him for coming to our state to see how much pride we take in our energy industry and our national treasures, and know that we will both work tirelessly to ensure that the stories we heard today resonate loudly in the halls of Congress.” 

Background

Westerman and Cheney began the day in Gillette, Wyo., with a tour of the Wyoming Integrated Test Center (ITC). The ITC is a facility that specializes in testing carbon capture and will enable clean, environmentally-efficient coal production that boosts the economy and provides reliable and affordable American energy. 
 
At the subsequent energy roundtable, Westerman and Cheney heard from stakeholders in the mining industry, coal industry, uranium industry, those who mine for rare earth elements, individuals who work on carbon capture, oil and gas producers and local county commissioners about energy issues, the dangers posed by the Biden administration and what Congress can do to support their respective industries.

Westerman and Cheney then toured the Rawhide Mine and reclaimed mine land in the area. They concluded the day with visits to Devil's Tower National Monument and Devil's Tower Forest Products, located in the Black Hills National Forest, to talk about the damaging effects of the Biden administration's forest mismanagement.