Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) stood against high energy prices today in asking the Senate to pass his bill reaffirming the law to limit the President’s authority to delay or forgo legally required sales of energy leases on federal land. Sen. Lee was joined in this effort by Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL) and Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-AK). Utah is currently facing some of the highest gas prices in the nation with an average price over five dollars a gallon.
President Biden and his administration have used court challenges, so-called reviews, and other tactics to delay or prevent legally required sales of oil and gas leases on federal land and in federally controlled waters. This delay, along with other Biden Administration policies, has constrained the available domestic supply of energy and placed energy suppliers in Utah and elsewhere in difficult economic circumstances.
Sen. Lee said of the bill, “The American people cannot endure President Biden’s clear-as-mud policies any longer. I’ve introduced legislation to reaffirm that under the Mineral Leasing Act, the President absolutely does not have the authority to hold the country’s domestic energy production hostage.” Sen. Lee continued, “We can end this crusade today and get to work securing American energy independence for generations to come.”
