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House Republican Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.) led 129 House Republicans in sending a letter to President Biden demanding an immediate halt to his war on American energy by issuing a robust offshore energy leasing plan.
“Every day that passes under President Biden’s war on American energy is another day Louisiana families struggle to pay their electricity bills and fill their tanks. President Biden has unfortunately carried out his campaign pledge to shut down American oil and gas production, leaving families struggling to keep up with skyrocketing energy costs.
“We’ve seen the future of Biden and Pelosi’s reckless Green New Deal policies play out in Europe with mushrooming energy costs, and allowing the same devastating fate for American families would be unconscionable. Instead of begging OPEC and Russia to increase oil production, I have called on President Biden to look to places like offshore Louisiana and Port Fourchon in my district so we can unleash American energy, create good jobs and lower costs for hard-working families,”said Whip Scalise.
The letter demands President Biden and U.S. Department of the Interior Secretary Deb Haaland reverse course on the current disastrous energy policies and invest in America’s energy independence by issuing a five-year offshore leasing plan that includes regular annual lease sales in America’s offshore areas.
“The American people have suffered long enough because of your destructive energy policies. We must do everything we can to avoid a future like the one we are seeing in Europe by increasing our investments in American energy, where we have the highest standards in the world. It is time to unleash our nation’s vast energy resources and give the American people the relief that is desperately needed,” the letter reads.
The offshore leasing program is required under the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (OCSLA), mandating the Department of the Interior to finalize a five-year plan before any leasing can occur.
While past administrations ensured a smooth transition between schedules, Secretary Haaland broke tradition and severely delayed the release of a proposed program, further undermining American energy.
In the letter, Whip Scalise and House Republicans underlined the grave consequences of undermining oil and gas exploration and production, pointing to the ongoing energy catastrophes in Europe and California that led to skyrocketing gasoline and electricity prices for hard-working families.
Louisiana leaders and stakeholders praised the call for action:
“We are proud to join with Congressman Scalise in urging the President to hold more lease sales in the Gulf of Mexico. These leases not only mean energy independence for our country but jobs for our communities. More lease sales also mean increased revenue sharing which helps us restore our wetlands and build better hurricane protection projects, which also protect industries critical to our nation’s energy and national security,” said Lafourche Parish President Archie Chaisson, III.
“Congressman Scalise continues to be a strong leader in advocating for a robust offshore energy policy, and I applaud him for leading his colleagues in Congress in pushing the Biden Administration to hold lease sales in the Gulf of Mexico. These lease sales and the exploration and development of American energy are critical to our country’s energy and national security and are vital to communities in south Louisiana. Revenue sharing derived from these leases and the production on the leases funds critical coastal restoration and hurricane protection projects in Terrebonne Parish, and we must continue working to make sure America has a strong offshore energy strategy for the benefit of our entire nation and coastal communities like ours in south Louisiana,” said Terrebonne Parish President Gordon Dove.
“Revenue sharing of all forms of offshore energy, as well as local revenue drawn from the economic impacts of our struggling energy service sector has been and has the potential to continue to provide desperately needed funding for coastal protection and restoration projects in our rapidly deteriorating coastal area. The loss of these funds threatens this irreplaceable habitat, our people, our culture and our very way of life in south Louisiana,”said North Lafourche Conservation, Levee and Drainage District Executive Director Dwayne Bourgeois.
“A robust five-year plan with predictable lease sales in the Gulf of Mexico is critical to our Gulf Coast economy and we thank Whip Scalise for taking this initiative. This letter, with signatures from House Members from all over the U.S., sends a resounding signal about the importance of Gulf of Mexico energy to the entire country. Approval of an offshore leasing program will help secure a sustainable domestic energy supply in future years and keep energy prices more affordable for consumers,”said Louisiana Mid-Continent Oil and Gas Association President Tommy Faucheux.
“The U.S. has been a leader in the development of research, technology, labor, and production of offshore energy development, so we appreciate Congressman Scalise’s leadership on this vital issue. The offshore industry provides the educational and training foundation to support a variety of jobs in the energy sector, which contributes to maintaining a quality of life in the United States. It is vitally important to maintain the certainty of continued investment in the offshore energy sector, which will meet not only the energy demands of every American, but also provide a level of economic activity necessary for our country to continue to prosper,” said Greater Lafourche Port Commission Executive Director Chett Chiasson.
