AFP Statement on Court Reinstating ANWR Oil and Gas Leases
ANCHORAGE, AK – Yesterday, a federal court in Alaska ruled that the Biden administration unlawfully canceled seven oil and gas leases in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) that were required under the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.
AFP Foundation had previously opened an investigation into the cancelation of the oil leases and found that even Biden administration budget officials from the Department of the Interior (DOI) and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) questioned the legal authority the Biden administration used to cancel them.
AFP-Alaska State Director Bethany Marcum issued the following statement:
“The district court’s decision rules that Biden’s Department of Interior failed to follow the congressionally mandated procedure to cancel the ANWR oil leases. In doing so, the Biden administration unlawfully prevented Alaskan energy production and stifled the creation of good jobs in the region.
“The court’s decision is a victory for Alaskans and will usher in a new era of American energy independence in the Last Frontier.”
