AFP Key Vote Alert: Vote YES on HR 6285, Alaska’s Right to Produce Act of 2023
Dear Representative,
On behalf of Americans for Prosperity, the nation’s largest grassroots organization, we urge you to support H.R. 6285, Alaska’s Right to Produce Act of 2023, led by Representative Pete Stauber. This legislation will rectify actions taken by the Biden administration to halt oil and gas leasing in the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska.
Like the Keystone XL Pipeline, Alaska’s oil and gas is the unfortunate target of Biden’s war on American energy production. Recently, the Biden Administration announced that it will restrict new oil and gas leasing on 13 million acres (about twice the area of New Jersey) in the National Petroleum Reserve, in an action that further empowers America’s energy adversaries.
To alleviate Biden’s anti-American energy policies, H.R. 6285 directs that any order or action by the President or the Secretary of the Interior that has the effect of placing a moratorium on or otherwise suspending or pausing oil and gas leasing in the Coastal Plain shall have no force or effect.
To keep President Biden from further damaging Alaska’s energy potential, H.R. 6285 provides that neither the President nor the Secretary may cancel a lease issued if the Secretary has previously opened bids for the lease or disclosed the high bidder for any track that was included in a lease sale under the program unless the lessee is in violation of the terms of the lease and fails to cure the violation after a reasonable period of time.
Further, the bill directs the Secretary through the Director of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to withdraw its proposed rule entitled “Management and Protection of the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska” (88 Fed. Reg. 62025 September 8, 2023) and directs that the Secretary may not take any action to finalize, implement, or enforce the proposed rule or any substantially similar rule.
Finally, H.R. 6285 reverses the damaging Secretarial Order 3401 relating to the Comprehensive Analysis and Temporary Halt on all Activities in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge Relating to the Coastal Plain Oil and Gas Leasing Program issued by the Secretary on June 1, 2021, indicating that it shall have no force or effect and that no federal funds may be obligated or expended to carry out that Order.
Recent measures taken by the Biden administration risk jeopardizing U.S. energy abundance, hampering the competitive edge of our domestic energy sector and inflating costs for consumers and businesses.
Supporting H.R. 6285 is a vital step towards ensuring that U.S. energy policy remains fair and conducive to all forms of energy production. It represents a commitment to preserving the diversity of our energy portfolio, fostering economic stability, and maintaining the global competitiveness of the U.S. energy sector.
We encourage policies that promote a straightforward, transparent, and balanced approach to energy development. Our organization is ready to support this worthy cause and looks forward to seeing the positive impact of your leadership on our nation’s energy policy. It is for these reasons we respectfully ask you to vote “YES” on H.R. 6285: Alaska’s Right to Produce Act of 2023.
This vote will be recorded in our legislative scorecard. To see what other votes have been included, please visit AFP’s scorecard online at: AFPScorecard.org.
Sincerely,
Brent Gardner
Chief Government Affairs Officer
Americans for Prosperity
