WASHINGTON, D.C. (LOOTPRESS) – U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) today joined Senator Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.) and other colleagues to introduce the Protecting our Wealth of Energy Resources (POWER) Act of 2021. The POWER Act would prohibit the president or his secretaries of the U.S. Department of Interior (DOI), the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) from blocking energy or mineral leasing and permitting on federal lands and waters without Congressional approval.
In addition to Senators Capito and Lummis, The POWER Act is cosponsored by Senators John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), John Boozman (R-Ark.), Bill Cassidy (R-La.), Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), John Cornyn (R-Texas), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), John Hoeven (R-N.D.), Cindy Hyde-Smith (Miss.), Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), John Kennedy (R-La.), Mike Lee (R-Utah), Roger Marshall (R-Kan.), James Risch (R-Idaho), Mitt Romney (R-Utah), Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) Pat Toomey (R-Penn.), Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), and Roger Wicker (R-Miss.).
“The Biden administration continues to sidestep Congress and enact Executive Orders that kill American jobs and attack our natural gas and oil industries. As our country continues to battle COVID-19, actions like this further deplete energy sectors in need of relief, and put our energy independence in jeopardy. This legislation creates a needed check on the Executive Branch, and makes certain that decisions like this are subject to debate in Congress and not rashly signed into action. We must continue to advocate for the families across America who are at risk of losing their livelihood and income in the middle of a pandemic,” said Senator Capito.
A U.S. House of Representatives companion version of the bill is being sponsored by Representative Yvette Herrell (R-N.M.), and co-sponsored by Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), Minority Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.), and Natural Resources Committee Ranking Member Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.), among others.
Full text of the legislation can be found here.
