Yesterday, House Committee on Natural Resources Chairman Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.) led a letter to President Joe Biden and U.S. Department of the Interior Secretary Deb Haaland regarding their reckless decision to jeopardize American energy, economic and conservation interests by withdrawing 625 million acres of federal coastal waters from future oil and gas leasing. In part, the members wrote:

"Your withdrawal of these areas betrays decades of progress and abandons the workers and communities relying on offshore energy development for their livelihoods. By ceding ground to OPEC, Russia, China, and other foreign adversaries, you have put American energy security and economic stability at risk for the sake of fleeting-political optics. This decision is not just a misstep--it is a willful act of sabotage against the American people and our future.

"For two years, the American people waited for the release of the 5-Year National OCS Program, only for it to become the most pathetic in history-delayed,underwhelming, and maliciously drafted. The December release of a Draft Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS) was far too late to prevent delays to Lease Sale 262, which BOEM officials have openly admitted will not take place in 2025, as your own plan required. With this withdrawal, your administration has effectively slammed the door on future development in critical regions, including the Gulf of Mexico, the Atlantic, the Pacific, and the Northern Bering Sea of Alaska."

To read the full letter, click here.

Background

On Jan. 6, 2025, President Joe Biden announced his decision to withdraw 625 million acres of federal waters along the Atlantic coast, the Pacific coast, the Gulf of Mexico, and portions of the northern Bering Sea from future oil and gas leasing. The acreage is equivalent to more than 25% of the total land area of the United States, equal to 1.8 billion football fields. 

This decision impacts the long-term viability of the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) oil and gas program, which has been a cornerstone of American energy independence and economic security. Before 2004, the U.S. faced dwindling natural gas supplies until technological advances like fracking unlocked vast oil and gas reserves. Restricting access to energy resources effectively handcuffs the nation, preventing future energy potential from untapped depths or unknown resources crucial for U.S. national security and economic stability. 

Offshore energy development has generated hundreds of billions of dollars in federal and state revenues, a testament to its unmatched value to the nation. Before 2004, the program brought in an astonishing $159 billion, including $64 billion in bonuses, $3 billion in rentals, $89 billion in royalties, and $3 billion in in-kind oil deliveries in lieu of royalties. Over the past 20 years, it has added another $140 billion to the federal treasury, underscoring its enduring importance to the American economy.

The withdrawal cements Biden's legacy as conducting a retreat to environmental radicalism achieved at the expense of our nation's energy and national security.  Notably, his retreat works to cripple the very economic engine that funds American conservation programs like the Land and Water Conservation Fund.