Today, the House Committee on Natural Resources favorably reported a total of three bills during a full committee markup. Committee Chairman Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.) released the following statement in response:

"The House Committee on Natural Resources is keeping our commitment to the American people by working to lower energy costs and support tribal rights by promoting access to our nation's natural resources. Unlike the Biden administration, we took the time to receive thoughtful input from community stakeholders and those who are most affected by our work in Washington rather than taking radical action ungrounded in fact. Our commonsense solutions will make a difference in the lives of the Americans we serve. I'd like to thank my colleagues for their diligent work on these issues and I look forward to seeing these bills on the House floor."

Background

The House Committee on Natural Resources favorably reported a total of three bills out of committee today:

H.R. 4374, introduced by U.S. Rep. Eli Crane (R-Ariz.), nullifies the Bureau of Land Management's public land order withdrawing 336,404.42 acres of federal mineral estate surrounding the Chaco Canyon National Historic Park. The bill restores property rights of more than 5,000 members of the Navajo Nation whose mineral rights were unilaterally stripped from them by the Biden administration and is supported by the Navajo Nation.

H.R. 1607, introduced by U.S. Rep. David Schweikert (R-Ariz.), clarifies jurisdiction with respect of certain Bureau of Reclamation pumped storage development and ensures these lands are managed the same as preexisting adjoining withdrawn lands. 

H.R. 2839, introduced by U.S. Rep. Val Hoyle (D-Ore.), amends the Siletz Reservation Act to provide a process by which the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians and the State of Oregon may negotiate, amend or replace the current agreement governing the tribe’s hunting, fishing, trapping and animal gathering rights.