Hoeven Outlines Republican Priorities to Restore U.S. Energy Security Under New Admin & 119th Congress

Senator Highlights Gov. Burgum’s Nomination to Lead Interior Department & National Energy Council, Opportunity to Repeal Overreaching Federal Rules

WASHINGTON – During remarks delivered on the floor of the U.S. Senate this week, Senator John Hoeven outlined solutions he and his colleagues will work to advance in the 119th Congress and under the incoming administration to restore U.S. energy security. To this end, Hoeven discussed the need to rescind burdensome federal rules imposed during the Biden administration, which have locked away taxpayer-owned lands and minerals and increased energy production costs.

“We will work with President Trump to unleash more American energy and not only make our country energy independent once again, but we’re going to make the U.S. energy dominant. We’ll do that by cutting the red tape that has handcuffed our energy industry, and instead of strangling regulations, we’re going to boost innovation. That’s the right kind of energy policy for our nation,” said Hoeven. “Energy security directly impacts our economic and national security, and that’s why we must act on day one to reverse the Biden administration’s regulatory onslaught.

“Just last week, the Biden administration finished implementing a new natural gas tax…in addition to new burdensome rules and higher fees on federal energy production. But the Biden administration isn’t just increasing costs for producers – they are working to outright prevent the development of vast amounts of taxpayer-owned energy resources on public lands. This year, BLM issued a new Public Lands Rule, enabling radical environmental groups to lock away more of our energy reserves under a so-called conservation leasing scheme. In my state of North Dakota, the Biden administration is proposing to close off leasing to 45 percent of federal oil and gas acreage and 95 percent of federal coal acreage. At the same time, the Biden administration’s regulatory agenda is making electricity more expensive and less reliable.

“Each of these actions by the Biden administration were specifically designed to make traditional energy more expensive and to produce less of it. That’s why, in partnership with the incoming Trump administration, we will take the handcuffs off our energy producers and empower them to increase supply and bring down prices for American families and businesses.

Hoeven also highlighted Governor Doug Burgum’s nomination to serve as Secretary of the Interior and lead the National Energy Council, stressing the importance of these positions to energy development in North Dakota and across the nation.

“The Department of the Interior is incredibly important to North Dakota and western states, overseeing more than 247 million acres of federal land and approximately 30 percent of the nation’s minerals…I look forward to continuing our efforts together, as he will be in a tremendous position to help us roll back the harmful policies of the last four years and unlock our country’s energy potential. That means making the best use of all of our nation’s abundant energy resources, including our vast oil, gas and coal reserves.”

In particular, Hoeven stressed the need to repeal overreaching and costly federal policies that:

Target natural gas and coal-fired electric, including the:
- Methane Rule & Natural Gas Tax.
- Mercury and Air Toxics Standards (MATS) Rule.
- Clean Power Plan 2.0.
- Water Discharge Rule.
- Coal Ash Rule.

Restrict access to, and increase the cost of developing, taxpayer-owned lands and resources, like the:
- Public Lands Rule.
- BLM’s Updated Resource Management Plan (RMP) for North Dakota.
- BLM Onshore Oil and Gas Rule.
- BLM Venting and Flaring Rule.

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