Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of S. 356, the Secure Rural Schools Reauthorization Act of 2025, which is a lifeline for rural school districts that have experienced severe budget impacts since 2023 when the program was not reauthorized. This bill is vital to restoring critical funding, preventing further school closures, and ensuring rural students have access to quality education that can compete with urban communities.

However, this is not just an education issue. This is about investing in the future of rural America and supporting communities surrounded by Federal forests.

It is something I hear about regularly from the men and women of the Fourth District of Arkansas who share my understanding that our schools must be supported in a way that allows them to play a role as a community hub while also supporting our timber industry that is the lifeblood for many of our communities.

For generations, Arkansas counties with large swaths of Federal forest land have received a share of Federal timber harvest revenue on Federal land. Unfortunately, reduced timber revenue since the 1990s, as a result of declining rates of timber harvesting, litigation, and misguided environmental regulations, has drastically affected county revenue, creating very real economic impacts in its wake.

Franklin, Garland, Hot Spring, Howard, Johnson, Logan, Montgomery, Newton, Pike, Polk, Pope, Scott, and Yell Counties have lost millions of their SRS funding while waiting for this legislation to be reauthorized. Communities across Arkansas and the United States are sounding the alarm, and it is time for Congress to listen.

This bill not only shines a light on an educational issue but underscores the need for an increase in responsible forest management. That is why I introduced the Fix Our Forests Act earlier this year, which passed the House with overwhelming bipartisan support. FOFA would not only result in more stable funding for working families, but it would also mitigate the devastation of wildfires in our wildland-urban interfaces through the restoration of forest health and commonsense management. I hope the Senate will act soon so we can send FOFA to the President's desk quickly to help our rural communities throughout Arkansas and the Nation.

It is time to restore revenue, revitalize resilience, and reauthorize the Secure Rural Schools legislation for our rural timber communities. This will be for our rural timber communities all across the country.

Mr. Speaker, I appreciate my colleague, Mr. LaMalfa, for the work that he has done on this, and I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 2302) to take certain Federal land in the State of California into trust for the benefit of the Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on H.R. 2302, the bill now under consideration.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 2302, the Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians Land Transfer Act of 2025, introduced by Congressman McClintock, would place approximately 80 acres of BLM land and 185 acres of fee land into trust for the Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians.

Descendants of the Miwok Indians once lived throughout north central

California, inhabiting land from the Sacramento area to the Sierra Nevada mountains.

The Shingle Springs Band, however, was displaced by the Gold Rush of the 1850s, prompting the Federal Government to refer to the Tribe as the ``Sacramento-Verona Band of Homeless Indians.'' In 1920, the government provided the Tribe a 160-acre parcel of land known as the Verona Tract, which serves as the Tribe's rancheria.

As the years have passed, and without the realignment of Highway 50 in California, the rancheria has become largely landlocked. This has prohibited the Tribe's growth and restricted its housing opportunities.

In 2014, roughly 41 acres of BLM land were placed into trust for the Tribe to assist with Tribal housing needs. Developing the land for housing has proved difficult, however, due to the land's rough terrain.

Recently, the Tribe purchased land near the rancheria known as the Indian Creek Subdivision, which was previously approved for a now- defunct subdivision. The Tribe seeks to place this land into trust and is pursuing this goal legislatively, as their previous attempts to obtain fee-to-trust approval through the Federal administrative process have been mired in bureaucracy.

The other parcels involved in this legislation comprise approximately 80 acres of BLM land that will be transferred into trust for the Tribe. These parcels have suffered from various management issues, which have led the Tribe and other surrounding landowners to raise concerns about increased wildfire risk. Despite lacking ownership, the Tribe has performed needed management functions on this land, a fact that reflects positively on the Tribe's stewardship capabilities and deep- felt concern for the land's overall health.

Currently, the Tribe has no immediate commercial or development plans for these parcels. Pursuant to the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act, gaming on these lands is prohibited.

I applaud Mr. McClintock for working with the Tribe to develop H.R. 2302, which would place land into trust for the Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. McClintock), the lead sponsor of this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I commend the gentleman for his work on this important issue and representing his district so well.

Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time. I am prepared to close, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, this legislation will allow the Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians to place land into trust in a way that will benefit both the Tribe and the surrounding area.

Mr. Speaker, I urge the adoption of the bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1276) to remove restrictions from a parcel of land in Paducah, Kentucky, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 1276, the bill now under consideration.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this legislation offered by my good friend and the chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, Representative Comer. This legislation would remove Federal deed restrictions from a building and the surrounding parcel of land in Paducah, Kentucky.

For more than six decades, the Oscar Cross Boys & Girls Club of Paducah has provided a safe place for young people in McCracken County, Kentucky, to learn, grow, and thrive. The club is a model of community service, offering affordable mentorship, recreation, and educational opportunities to hundreds of children each year.

Today, the club is ready to make long-overdue improvements, including renovating and expanding its building, adding new classrooms, and refurbishing its gymnasium so that it can serve even more children and bolster its educational and recreational programming.

To do so, the Boys & Girls Club is hoping to acquire the current building and surrounding land from the city of Paducah. However, these plans are stalled by an outdated Federal deed restriction put in place by the National Park Service on the land where the Boys & Girls Club currently operates.

H.R. 1276 removes that restriction, which would, in turn, allow the city of Paducah to transfer the parcel directly to the club.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Representative Comer for working with the Natural Resources Committee to amend this bill during our committee's markup to ensure that this area remains dedicated to public and recreational purposes in perpetuity. This is a commonsense bill that cuts red tape, empowers local leaders, and strengthens a vital community institution. Chairman Comer has played a vital role in leading and representing his community.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 1276, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. Comer), the lead sponsor of the bill.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.

As has been noted, for more than 60 years, the Oscar Cross Boys and Girls Club of Paducah has provided dedicated service to their community.

H.R. 1276 is a straightforward bill that will enhance this legacy of service by removing an unnecessary Federal deed restriction and allowing the city of Paducah to transfer land directly to the club. This will pave the way for long-planned improvements that will directly benefit Kentucky children and families.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support Chairman Comer's legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 4285) to direct the Secretary of the Interior to designate an entrance-fee free date in 2026 at National Park Service sites in order to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the United States of America, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 4285, the bill now under consideration.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 4285, the Semiquincentennial Tourism and Access to Recreation Sites Act, or STARS Act, led by my colleague, the gentlewoman from Utah (Ms. Maloy).

This bill designates September 17, 2026, as a fee-free day across our national parks and other Federal recreation lands in honor of the 250th anniversary of our Nation's independence.

September 17 was also the date on which the U.S. Constitution was signed 11 years later, bringing together two foundational milestones in American history.

By waiving entrance and recreation fees at more than 400 National Park Service units and thousands of Federal recreation sites, the STARS Act ensures that families across the country can celebrate America 250 by connecting with our natural landscapes and historic places. From our forests and lakeshores to our battlefields and monuments, these sites tell the story of our liberty, resilience, and shared civic values.

This is a simple, bipartisan bill that expands access to our public lands, encourages public participation in the semiquincentennial, and reaffirms the ideals that continue to guide our Nation.

I commend Representative Maloy, as well as my fellow Arkansan, Senator John Boozman, for leading this bipartisan legislation in the House and the Senate, respectively. I also recognize the work of Representative Pete Stauber, who offered a thoughtful amendment during our Natural Resources Committee markup to expand this bill to national forests, refuges, and all public lands.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 4285, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, as we get ready to celebrate our 250th anniversary--and, actually, we are already in it with some of the Revolutionary War battles being fought already over 250 years ago--we look forward to Americans being able to have a very affordable day when they can go to our parks and Federal lands for free.

It is already an exciting time in America. I commend the gentlewoman who brought this bill to us and the effort that she has put forth to make sure that Americans can have an affordable day on our Federal lands.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from Utah (Ms. Maloy), the lead sponsor of the bill.

Mr. Speaker, I, once again, thank Representative Maloy and Chairman Boozman for their leadership on the STARS Act in their respective Chambers of Congress.

This is a good bill that gives every American the opportunity to celebrate the 250th anniversary of our Nation's independence in the very places that conserve our history and our heritage.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, had I been present, I would have voted YEA on Roll Call No. 299.

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 879, I call up the joint resolution (H.J. Res. 130) providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Bureau of Land Management relating to ``Buffalo Field Office Record of Decision and Approved Resource Management Plan Amendment'', and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.J. Res. 130.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.J. Res. 130, which would repeal the Bureau of Land Management's misguided resource management plan, or RMP, amendment for the Buffalo Field Office in Wyoming, which was finalized in the twilight hours of the Biden-Harris administration.

Wyoming's Powder River Basin currently supplies 40 percent of the Nation's coal. The RMP amendment in question effectively halted future Federal coal leasing across a region in Wyoming larger than New Jersey and located in the heart of America's coal country. Without repeal, the RMP amendment will end coal production in the region entirely by 2041 and close 12 active mines.

The RMP amendment is a death blow to America's energy security, Wyoming's workers, and the economic backbone of the State itself.

It is projected that U.S. electricity demand will grow by as much as 128 gigawatts through 2029, and global energy demand is expected to double by 2050.

Coal is reliable, affordable, and essential to meet the increasing power demands of the AI revolution and advanced manufacturing. The RMP amendment locked up an astonishing 48 billion short tons of coal. That is enough to meet U.S. coal demand for the next 116 years.

Mr. Speaker, 92 percent of Wyoming's coal is exported to other States, helping keep the lights on and utility prices affordable in distant places as far as Texas, Illinois, and my home State of Arkansas.

Nationwide, residential electricity prices have increased by 13 percent since 2022, and overturning misguided policies like this RMP amendment will help make the cost of living more affordable for families across America.

It is time to unleash our domestic resources to put this money back into the pockets of American families by repealing the Biden administration's anti-American energy policies. What is more, instead of working with the State, the Biden administration blatantly ignored local opposition at every stage of this process and rammed this RMP amendment through to appease environmental extremists.

The Biden administration provided a limited opportunity for public comment or engagement on this RMP amendment. Wyoming's Governor, a unified congressional delegation, locally elected officials, Tribes, and local communities all expressed strong opposition to this plan amendment. The previous administration ignored them all.

According to local representatives, it is suspect and disturbing that such a dramatic change to the current land use plan would solicit such little engagement during the public comment period. Campbell and Johnson County commissioners who represent the local communities affected by this plan stated that whatever information they provided to the BLM in this process was ignored by the Federal agency.

Overturning the RMP amendment takes power from bureaucrats in Washington, D.C., and returns it to the people of Wyoming.

The BLM also ignored Tribal input in developing this RMP amendment. The Navajo Transitional Energy Company, which is wholly owned by the Navajo Nation, provided detailed comments opposing this amendment. They were all dismissed by the BLM.

In a letter they submitted to the agency, they stated:

``BLM consistently downplayed the reasonably foreseeable negative impacts of the mines' closures on the surrounding social justice communities. And it did not even consider the jobs lost in the downstream communities that rely on the [Powder River Basin] coal.''

Energy security is national security, and Wyoming's energy industry remains indispensable to ensuring that America stays energy dominant. Wyoming's Powder River Basin, with its low-sulfur coal, produces the world's cleanest burning coal. We should be focused on exporting this abundant natural resource to our allies abroad, not burying this baseload power under layers of bureaucracy.

By passing this CRA today, we are advancing President Trump's executive orders on unleashing American energy and reinvigorating America's coal industry. We are also restoring hundreds of millions of dollars in future revenue for Wyoming's K-12 public education system and protecting more than 4,000 high-paying jobs in rural Wyoming.

In conjunction with the pro-energy policies included in the working families tax cut law, this CRA also has the potential to generate more than $260 million for the Federal Treasury.

This CRA helps the U.S. remain energy dominant and will lower prices for families, strengthen our economy, and boost real wages for hardworking men and women. I urge my colleagues to stand with Wyoming, stand with American workers, and stand for energy security by supporting this resolution.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I sincerely appreciate the birthday wishes from my friend across the aisle. That means a lot to me.

If I had a birthday wish of my own, it would be to make energy more affordable for the American people, to help the good folks of Wyoming to have a livelihood and to not only keep prices down, but keep good- paying jobs across this country that are in the energy industry. We know that we need more energy going forward. We need more electrons on the grid. We need a larger grid. We need to all work together to do those things, but if this resource management plan amendment by the previous administration was balanced, I would hate to see a heavy- handed resource management plan amendment by the previous administration because this took a sledgehammer to an established industry in the State of Wyoming.

I am sure my distinguished colleague from the great State of Wyoming, Representative Hageman, who is the lead sponsor of this legislation, will go into detail what this would mean to Wyoming if this plan amendment stays in place.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 6 minutes to the gentlewoman from Wyoming (Ms. Hageman).

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, it has been mentioned that U.S. coal is dying. U.S. coal is being murdered. There has been an attack on it for many years, and some people will not stop until they see it gone. That would be to our own demise because we depend so much on the energy not only from coal but from natural gas.

We need more nuclear power. We need more hydropower. We need all kinds of new power, and this isn't the time to be attacking our fuel sources. We will have a debate on the Arctic Slope and the Coastal Plain, but when we are talking about Wyoming, we are talking about coal and really the backbone of our electrical generating and distribution system.

I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Stauber), the chairman of the Energy and Mineral Resources Subcommittee of the Natural Resources Committee.

Mr. Speaker, I am prepared to close and continue to reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time to close.

Since my colleague mentioned the SPEED Act, which we will be marking up in committee on Thursday, even though it is not on the floor today, I will put in a shameless plug for our bipartisan legislation that is not only tech neutral, but it is agnostic to the project, the project type.

It would definitely help us produce more energy in America, and it will also help us to build things in America again, something we desperately need to do. We will debate that Thursday, and, hopefully, some day we will be out here debating it on the floor.

This particular RMPA that is on the floor today is because the Biden administration, on their way out, pushed something through by rule that they could never get passed into law. The CRA, I remind you, is so that Congress can exert its legislative authority over an administrative agency or over an administration.

I would remind future administrations not to make dumb rules when they are going out the door or somebody in Congress will be standing here maybe on the other side of the aisle doing a CRA to turn back the rulemaking ability that is not lawmaking, as we are instructed to do in the Constitution as the legislative branch.

Mr. Speaker, in response to the actual RMPA that we are talking about, the CRA on it today, now is the time to unleash American energy. The Buffalo Field Office resource management plan would not only devastate Wyoming's energy workforce but it would raise prices nationwide.

We are in a competition. We are in a competition with China that certainly hasn't backed off on building coal-fired plants. As a matter of fact, they are building at a rate of about one every 2 or 3 days coming online because they know they need reliable energy. They need affordable energy. They need that to establish their manufacturing dominance and to beat us in the race for AI.

Mr. Speaker, we can't allow that to happen. Even though China produces twice as much electricity as we do today, we shouldn't discriminate against any energy source. We should try to produce as much energy as we can so that we can win in that competition.

By passing this CRA, we are restoring the BLM's multiple use and sustained yield mandate and preventing future administrations from locking up America's natural resources. The era of curtailing multiple uses of our Federal lands hopefully is over. It is time to usher in a golden age of unleashing our energy and mineral resources.

Mr. Speaker, I urge adoption of this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 879, I call up the joint resolution (H.J. Res. 131) providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Bureau of Land Management relating to ``Coastal Plain Oil and Gas Leasing Program Record of Decision'', and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.J. Res. 131.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.J. Res. 131 which would repeal a Biden administration-era Record of Decision, ROD, restricting oil and gas production on 1.16 million acres within the 10-02 area of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, also known as ANWR.

The 10-02 area of ANWR was specifically set aside by Congress for its oil and gas potential and is estimated to hold anywhere between 4.25 and 11.8 billion barrels of recoverable oil.

Prior to the passage of the Working Families Tax Cut law, which requires four lease sales to be held over a 10-year period, Congress had previously mandated energy leasing in the area, an action that has the support of local North Slope communities and Native Villages.

Last Congress, we held a bipartisan legislative hearing on H.R. 6285, ``Alaska's Right to Produce Act,'' where we heard from Tribal representatives, including Inupiat leadership from the Native Village of Kaktovik, the only indigenous Tribal community within ANWR.

In that hearing, Doreen Leavitt, Director of Natural Resources for the Inupiat community of the Arctic Slope said:

The North Slope Inupiat live in one of the most remote

areas of the country, with none of their communities

connected by a permanent road system to each other or to

municipalities in the State, making private and

public investment very costly. It is up to their people to

seek out opportunities and partners to strengthen their

regional economy.

Instead of working with Arctic Slope communities to create economic opportunities, the Biden-era ROD further limited the economic prospects available to those in the region, reducing investment and cutting off essential new infrastructure that would support resource development.

During President Trump's first administration, consistent with Federal law and local voices, the Department of the Interior finalized plans to make all 1.56 million acres of the Coastal Plain available to oil and gas leasing.

Lamentably, in 2024, the Biden administration disregarded local Tribal voices and reversed course, implementing a new Record of Decision that chose the most restrictive alternative, making available the minimal amount of acreage for energy leasing.

The Biden administration also included energy-prohibitive stipulations in the ROD designed to undermine energy lease sales in the 10-02 area. These provisions were horrifically successful, as the last lease sale held received no bids.

The Biden administration's anti-energy decisions limit economic opportunities for local Alaskans and Alaska Natives living within ANWR.

Congress must move to repeal the Biden administration-era ROD that runs counter to congressional intent and unfairly reduces economic opportunities in the region.

I thank Representative Begich for his work on H.J. Res. 131 so we can restore common sense to the management of ANWR's vast resources and, again, unleash American energy.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from Alaska (Mr. Begich), who is the lead sponsor of this legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Stauber).

Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time. I am prepared to close, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.

I thank my colleagues for supporting this critical legislation and engaging in this meaningful discussion.

Before I close, I want to highlight another statement from Director Leavitt, which she offered during a Natural Resources Committee hearing last Congress. Mr. Stauber, in his testimony, talked about how the locals in the area just wished someone would listen to them. Director Leavitt said this: ``Had the administration acted according to the Indian Reorganization Act or its own orders, its leadership and staff would have made allowance for the fact that the ICAS [the Inupiat Community of the Arctic Slope], alongside many other North Slope Tribes and entities like the Native Village of Kaktovik, Voice of the Arctic Inupiat, Arctic Slope Regional Corporation, and more, have a long history of supporting responsible resource development projects in ANWR. The Voice of the Arctic Inupiat, of which ICAS is a member, has a standing resolution supporting the responsible exploration and

development of the 10-02 area of ANWR.''

H.J. Res. 131 responds to the wishes of the local people who call ANWR home and unleashes the region's bountiful natural resources for the benefit of U.S. energy security and the economic well-being of local communities.

I again urge my colleagues to support this legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 879, I call up the joint resolution (S.J. Res. 80) providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Bureau of Land Management relating to ``National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska Integrated Activity Plan Record of Decision'', and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on S.J. Res. 80.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of S.J. Res. 80, which repeals the Biden administration's 2022 Integrated Activity Plan, or IAP, for the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska, also known as the NPR-A.

Under the Naval Petroleum Reserves Production Act of 1976, the approximately 23-million-acre NPR-A was designated by Congress due to its vast energy resources. In 1980, Congress amended the act and directed the Secretary of the Interior to conduct ``an expeditious program of competitive leasing of oil and gas in the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska.''

In 2020, in President Trump's first administration, the Bureau of Land Management released its IAP for the NPR-A. The 2020 IAP listened to local voices and opened up access to over 18.5 million acres of the NPR-A for oil and gas leasing. Over 13 million acres were made available for new infrastructure development.

Nagruk Harcharek, president of the Voice of the Arctic Inupiat, stated in a September 2023 Natural Resources Committee hearing that: ``We also felt heard when BLM released an NPR-A Integrated Activity Plan (IAP) in June 2020 that considered the interests of our communities, including future community infrastructure needs.''

The IAP outlining management activities for natural resources throughout the NPR-A was thoughtfully crafted by the first Trump administration, taking into account the voices of local indigenous Tribal communities.

Regrettably, in 2022, the Biden administration replaced the 2020 IAP with a new one, reducing the available acreage for oil and gas leasing by 37 percent and reducing areas available to new infrastructure by over 2.3 million acres.

In November 2023, during another hearing on the matter, we heard from Commissioner John Boyle of the Alaska Department of Natural Resources, who expressed concerns about the Biden administration's NPR-A rulemaking process. ``The process to date has been confusingly deficient as the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has scheduled and canceled public meetings on short notice, avoided consultation obligations, and attempted to avoid procedural safeguards that are meant to keep rulemakings of enormous public cost and consequence from being hastily and arbitrarily implemented. Neither comprehensive environmental nor economic reviews have been completed for a proposal that will dramatically change environmental and economic management in what may be the largest Federal petroleum asset in the country.''

In that same hearing, Mr. Harcharek shared:

``This decision, coupled with further `protections' for NPR-A, will undoubtedly shrink the economic opportunities available to the North Slope. It virtually guarantees to set us back on our journey toward self-determination by requiring further reliance on the Federal and State government to provide for the basic needs of the people on the North Slope.''

Ultimately, the Biden administration stymied energy production within the NPR-A and failed to offer leases in a manner that would boost revenue and provide economic stability to the region and the State.

The most recent lease sale in the NPR-A took place in 2019, when the BLM leased over 1 million acres, generating more than $11 million, including roughly $5.6 million for the State of Alaska.

Revenue from developing these resources is essential to the livelihoods of all Alaskans. For example, in fiscal year 2022, Alaskan oil and natural gas production, largely driven by the consequences of the pro-energy policies of the first Trump administration, generated $4.5 billion in State and local revenue and supported over 69,250 direct and indirect jobs.

Alaska's role as a leader in unleashing American energy dominance will continue. In the Working Families Tax Cut Act, Congress highlighted the importance of the NPR-A and required five lease sales to be held in the area over the next 10 years.

To ensure our energy independence, we must unleash American energy and ensure access to our own resources here at home. This legislation is an important step in doing just that.

I thank Representative Begich and Senator Sullivan for their work to bring S.J. Res. 80 to the House floor so that we can nullify yet another misguided Biden-era action and take another step to put our Nation's energy policy back on the right track.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I point out that, while the current administration did recently rescind the 2024 rule this month, passage of a CRA is still necessary to prevent a future administration from, again, weaponizing IAPs similar to this one that ignore congressional intent. By replacing the 2022 IAP, BLM wouldn't be left in limbo. They would revert back to the initial IAP finalized under the first Trump administration, which did take into account Native Tribal voices, and it is consistent with the requirements included in the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Alaska (Mr. Begich), the lead sponsor of the House companion to this legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record a letter from the Inupiat Community of the Arctic Slope, ICAS, the North Slope Borough, and the Arctic Slope Regional Corporation, ASRC, that specifically states BLM failed to engage in meaningful government-to-government consultation with ASRC, the Borough, and ICAS.

This admission contradicts Federal consultation requirements and disregards the voices of the very communities most affected. Our leadership has consistently raised concerns about this process and its outcome, yet those concerns were ignored.

October 3, 2025.

Re Support for S.J. Res. 80 and H.J. Res. 124--Congressional

Review Act Disapproval of the BLM NPR-A Integrated

Activity Plan (IAP) Record of Decision (ROD).

Hon. Lisa Murkowski,

U.S. Senate, Washington, DC.

Hon. Dan Sullivan,

U.S. Senate, Washington, DC.

Hon. Nicholas Begich III,

U.S. House of Representatives, Washington, DC.

Dear Senators Murkowski, Sullivan, and Representative

Begich: On behalf of the North Slope Inupiaq leadership--

including Arctic Slope Regional Corporation (ASRC), the North

Slope Borough (Borough), and the Inupiat Community of the

Arctic Slope (ICAS)--we write in strong support of S.J. Res.

80, introduced by Senators Sullivan and Murkowski, and H.J.

Res. 124 in the House, each providing for congressional

disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code,

of the rule submitted by the Bureau of Land Management

relating to the ``National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska

Integrated Activity Plan Record of Decision.''

Background

The North Slope Inupiat have called the Arctic home for

over 10,000 years. We are proud of our self-determination

efforts to ensure future generations of Inupiat continue to

reside in our communities and have access to essential

services. Without a stable economy, our communities will

suffer, along with our ability to fully engage in and sustain

our Inupiaq cultural traditions, including our vital

subsistence way of life.

The North Slope of Alaska spans an area nearly the size of

the state of Minnesota and, within that expansive area, there

are eight Inupiaq communities--Anaktuvuk Pass, Atqasuk,

Kaktovik, Nuiqsut, Point Hope, Point Lay, Utqiagvik, and

Wainwright. None of our communities are connected by a

permanent road system; all supplies must be flown or barged

in, making the cost of living extremely high and economic

opportunities generally low.

Over fifty years ago, the Federal Government directed

Alaska Native people to organize into a new structure of

indigenous representation. The Alaska Native Claims

Settlement Act of 1971 (ANCSA) was a dramatically different

and transformative approach by the Federal Government to

federal Indian policy. The fact that our ancestral lands were

claimed by the Federal Government before our people had a

right to settle aboriginal land claims should inform every

decision the Federal Government makes in managing those

lands.

Unlike the Lower 48 model of indigenous representation

where tribal governments typically administer the delivery of

services such as healthcare, public safety, education, land

management, and economic development, the passage of ANCSA

created a shared system of Alaska Native representation and

delivery of services. Our region has a multitude of Alaska

Native entities that work together to effectively serve,

provide for, and enrich the lives of the North Slope Inupiat

we represent. Our three regional entities, the ICAS, the

Borough, and ASRC are three of those entities. While our

roles differ, our constituencies overlap, which is why we

work closely together to protect the cultural and economic

interests of the North Slope Inupiat.

While our leaders over fifty years ago were initially wary

of any development on our lands, our Inupiaq leaders have

spent decades prioritizing open communication and

transparency in planning with industry. We have exercised

true self-determination through a unique framework of Alaska

Native governance--a framework that relies on our tribal

governments, municipal governments, and Alaska Native

corporations established by Congress to serve our indigenous

constituents. For millennia, Inupiaq ingenuity has

transformed our relationship with industry into a partnership

that has both protected our environment and our way of life

and has brought significant economic benefits to the region

that would have otherwise been absent. Our North Slope

residents are keenly aware that advances in our communities--

running water, local schools, health care, public safety,

electricity, and more--have come because of the coordination

and cooperation of Alaska Native leaders and entities across

the region.

Mr. Speaker, I would submit that a recipe for disaster is when an administration goes out on their own, goes around the laws that Congress passed, and implements bad rules on their way out the door and expects no repercussions from that.

I would say a recipe for good governance is when Congress acts within their power to disapprove of these rules, and that is exactly what we are doing with the CRA to make sure that these rules are followed.

Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time. I am prepared to close, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I am prepared to close, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, it has been stated that gas and energy prices won't be reduced by passing this CRA, and I contend that they will because overturning these rules would incentivize much-needed investment throughout the State or the entire North Slope.

The regional impacts of increased energy production in Alaska cannot be overstated. Refineries in the region, including California and Washington, are equipped to handle Alaskan oil, and the refinery in Kenai produces most of the State of Alaska's gasoline. The North Pole refinery provides jet fuel for our military, amongst other aviation fuels. Two other refineries located in Valdez and near Fairbanks also produce diesel and heating fuels.

Let me point out that 3 out of 10 State households in Alaska rely on fuel oil, kerosene, or propane for home heating. You may ask why they would rely on these fuels that are traditionally more expensive when Alaska has trillions of cubic feet of natural gas. That is because that natural gas is on the North Slope, and even in the city of Anchorage, they are running out of natural gas because they can't move the gas from the North Slope and can't develop infrastructure. Not only can they not meet their own needs with that gas, they certainly can't export it to our allies.

As many have shared, the NPR-A is essential to unleashing American energy dominance and sustaining economies throughout Alaska.

Congress must also act to undo the harm that the previous administration imposed, and we must work to unlock the estimated 8.7 billion barrels of oil and 25 trillion cubic feet of natural gas the NPR-A holds.

By repealing this decision, we can help uphold Tribal voices and revert to the 2020 IAP that considered their meaningful input.

Letting these plans to shut down energy production in the NPR-A linger would be devastating to Alaskans, especially the Native communities on the North Slope. Without jobs, people may leave these communities, jeopardizing the culture and social fabric of the region. We cannot afford to let this happen. We must pass S.J. Res. 80.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support passage of this important legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, it's an honor to be asked to say a few words to celebrate such a remarkable organization that truly lives up to its name: High Impact Movement. Amos and his wife, Carol, along with every mentor and volunteer who selflessly give their own time and energy, are making lasting differences and creating deep impacts in the lives of students and their families. They not only uplift and encourage the youth who come here every day but also strengthen the entire community by shaping the minds of our future leaders and dedicated public servants.

While the team's work is certainly outstanding, this address is about something far greater; it's about why their work matters. It's about highlighting the importance of investing in our youth, taking pride in their potential, and looking ahead to the future they will, in turn, build.

In 1984, President Ronald Reagan gave remarks to the Representatives of the United States International Youth Year Commission. In his speech, he said, ``I believe you all know--or you wouldn't be here--the importance of our youth to the future peace, security, and well-being of our Nation and the world.'' He then goes on to say, ``There's a spark in all of us which, if struck early enough, can light up our lives, elevate our ideals, and deepen our tolerance and strengthen our determination to make this world a better place. You couldn't make a better investment in America's future.''

Investing in Arkansas' future, igniting that spark, starts here. This is why programs like High Impact Movement are so important not only for our young people, but for the future of our great state. As you continue to pour into our youth, you are also investing in the future of our communities, where the impacts will be seen for generations to come. And for that I am deeply grateful.

High Impact Movement is proof that when you invest in others, whether it be through tutoring a student after school, sharing valuable life lessons through mentorship, or just encouraging a young person to be the best that they can be, you'll find that the results have an impact that echoes far into the future.

One of my favorite quotes hangs just above the Speaker's rostrum on the House Floor. Two hundred years ago, Daniel Webster addressed a few hundred Revolutionary War veterans and spectators at the Battle of Bunker Hill was memorial groundbreaking. In his oration, he said, ``Let us develop the resources of our land, call forth its powers, build up its institutions, promote all its great interests, and see whether we also in our day and generation may not perform something worthy to be remembered. ''

I'd like to take a moment to reflect on the call to action Mr. Webster gave at the end of this portion of his speech. While his audience may have only been a few hundred people on a field in the middle of summer 200 years ago, his audience continues to grow with each generation. As his audience today, in 2025, we are now the ones being tapped to do something worthy to be remembered. With your heart for service and dedication to our community, people like you are undoubtedly taking up that mantle.

I take deep pride in knowing that the future of the 4th District of Arkansas is bright because of the people proudly representing High Impact Movement. People who invest in our youth, pour into their families, and strengthen our communities through their time, compassion, and leadership.

Their dedicated work today leaves an indelible mark on tomorrow, so let me encourage you to press onward as you selflessly dedicate your time to serving your community.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that when the House adjourns today, it adjourn to meet at noon on Monday next for morning-hour debate and 2 p.m. for legislative business.

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 672, I call up the joint resolution (H.J. Res. 104) providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Bureau of Land Management relating to ``Miles City Field Office Record of Decision and Approved Resource Management Plan Amendment'', and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.J. Res. 104.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.J. Res. 104, sponsored by Representative Downing of Montana.

This Congressional Review Act resolution would permanently repeal the Bureau of Land Management's misguided resource management plan amendment for the Miles City Field Office in Montana, finalized under the Biden administration.

This resource management plan, or RMP, amendment locked up 11.7 million acres of land and mineral estate. To put that in perspective, that is an area roughly the size of the States of Rhode Island, Delaware, Connecticut, and New Jersey combined.

RMPs are meant to be collaborative approaches to land management that balance multiple uses, including energy and mineral production, outdoor recreation, grazing, and timber harvesting. When done correctly, RMPs help guide public land management in a way that provides fuel, food, and fiber for the Nation and conserves our natural resources.

RMPs manage the resources that are the backbone of western rural economies and support thousands of good-paying jobs. That is what makes the Miles City Resource Management Plan amendment so egregious.

This RMP amendment virtually ended future coal leasing across Montana's entire Powder River Basin, dealing a severe blow to America's energy security and threatening Montana jobs and economic growth.

The national security and economic importance of this region cannot be overstated. Montana holds nearly 30 percent of our Nation's coal reserves. In total, coal from the Powder River Basin produced in Montana and Wyoming makes up about 85 percent of Federal coal production and 40 percent of overall coal production in the entire United States.

Coal is reliable and affordable, and we know we are going to need this critical resource of baseload power as electricity demands continue to skyrocket. If your State has coal, we should be developing it, not burying it under bureaucracy. No one produces coal cleaner or more responsibly than the United States. Nobody understands this better than President Trump, who is reversing the war on American energy and ushering in a new age of energy dominance. He is putting Montana over Moscow and the Powder River Basin over the PRC.

By passing the CRA today, we are advancing President Trump's executive orders on unleashing American energy and reinvigorating America's beautiful clean coal industry.

The CRA will immediately reinstate future coal leasing and open access to 37.8 billion short tons of coal, enough to meet U.S. demand for the next 73 years.

In addition, passing Representative Downing's CRA will unleash Montana's coal industry and generate millions of dollars in revenue for the Federal Government and the State of Montana.

According to the Congressional Budget Office, this CRA will generate $16 million in revenue for the Federal Government over the next decade. This resolution also protects approximately $46 million in annual revenue for Montana's K-12 public education system.

These estimates are conservative, as they don't account for the thousands of good-paying jobs supported by Montana's coal industry and the broad positive economic effects of producing energy here at home.

The CRA isn't just about Montana. Energy security is national security, and Montana's mining industry plays a vital role in ensuring America and our allies maintain a strategic energy advantage over our adversaries.

We can be sure of one thing: The people who benefit from America not harnessing our abundant natural resources are currently sitting in Beijing, China, where they are building new coal-fired power plants at the rate of one per week. In this global energy race, we cannot afford to lose.

Unleashing American energy should not be a partisan issue. Harnessing and unleashing American energy brings down electricity prices for families and boosts real wages for hardworking

Americans who keep our economy running.

This CRA is about grid reliability, energy affordability, and ensuring that States across the country have access to dispatchable baseload power, especially during extreme weather and peak demand. It will create jobs, generate millions of dollars in revenue, and provide for our national security.

I commend the entire Montana delegation, Representatives Downing and Zinke, and Senators Daines and Sheehy, for their tireless work and leadership on this issue.

Mr. Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to support the CRA, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, all Americans should have on the top of their priority list energy security and national security. When we block off millions of acres of land from any kind of energy development, that is something that should come right up to the top of priorities.

I heard mention of balance. To think that there was balance in the RMP that the Biden administration put out, especially on this land in Montana, is no kind of balance that I have ever seen. It is totally unbalanced. It locks things down, shuts things off, and leaves the American people to deal with the ramifications of it, with higher energy prices, less reliable energy, and also less national security.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from Montana (Mr. Downing), the lead sponsor of this legislation, who, along with Representative Zinke, knows more about Montana than anybody else in the House.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I want to point out that the CRAs do have Tribal consultation. If there wasn't Tribal consultation, it was during the development of the RMP.

Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record a letter from the Navajo Transitional Energy Company in support of the CRA repealing the Miles City RMP amendment.

Navajo Transitional

Energy Company,

Broomfield, CO, July 18, 2025.

Hon. Steve Daines,

U.S. Senate,

Washington, DC.

Dear Senator Daines: On behalf of over one thousand

employees, I write to express my strong support for S.J. Res.

61, which seeks to rescind the 2024 Miles City Resource

Management Plan Amendment (``RMPA'') under the Congressional

Review Act (``CRA''). Navajo Transitional Energy Company, LLC

(``NTEC'') is the third largest thermal coal producer in the

United States. NTEC is unique in that it was formed in 2013

by the Navajo Nation to ``promote the development of the

Navajo Nation's resources and new sources of energy, power,

transmission and attendant resources to develop the economic,

financial, social and cultural well-being of the Navajo

People and the Navajo Nation.'' See Navajo Nation Council

Resolution CAP-20-13 (2013), NTEC is, thus, a Navajo Nation

limited liability company with one shareholder, the Navajo

Nation. NTEC owns and operates three surface coal mines

within the Powder River Basin, including one mine--the Spring

Creek Mine--located in Montana and within the U.S. Bureau of

Land Management's Miles City Office's Resource Management

Planning Area.

As NTEC's Chief Executive Officer, I've seen firsthand how

the RMPA prohibits the leasing and development of new federal

coal. The overwhelming majority of the coal within the RMPA

is either federal coal or coal granted to the State of

Montana. The RMPA prohibits the development of all such coal

because it is physically and economically impossible to only

develop coal resources possessed by the State of Montana. The

RMPA will hinder not only Montana's economic growth, as well

as that of the entire Powder River Basin but also disrupt

America's vital energy security well into the future.

The current RMPA prohibits the leasing of federal coal,

leaving skilled workers questioning the sustainability of the

current economic environment. Passing the CRA resolution

sends a clear message to families, small businesses, and

energy partners that Montana is open for responsible

development. I urge the Senate to support S.J. Res. 61 so we

can secure Montana's economic future and maintain America's

hard fought energy independence.

Returning to the 2015 RMP--and allowing leasing that

balances energy security with environmental stewardship--will

yield these immediate results:

A surge in local capital investment as energy companies bid

on new leases, stimulating equipment sales and service

contracts.

Increases to county and state tax revenues to fund schools,

roads, and public safety.

Job creation not only in mining but also in construction,

trucking, and professional services supporting mining

operations.

Spur millions in royalty payments to state and federal

coffers, offsetting budget shortfalls.

Preserve family-sustaining wages for miners, engineers, and

support staff across Montana.

A stable, domestic fuel source that lowers electricity

costs for manufacturers and keeps Montana competitive.

Securing a domestic fuel source to supply affordable

baseload power during a period of unprecedented electricity

demand growth and ballooning projected future development.

The RMPA unfairly targets coal at the expense of working

families and rural economies. Congressional disapproval under

the CRA is the swiftest remedy and will pave the way for a

thoughtfully drafted future management plan that guarantees

the prosperity of the United States, Montana, and

individuals. I urge the Senate to vote ``yes'' on this

resolution and help safeguard Montana's economic backbone for

generations.

Thank you for your leadership on this critical issue.

Sincerely,

Vern K. Lund,

Chief Executive Officer.

Mr. Speaker, the Navajo Transitional Energy Company is the third largest coal producer in the United States and operates three mines in the Powder River Basin. They were strongly opposed to the previous RMP amendment and support this CRA to ``preserve family- sustaining wages for miners, engineers, and support staff across Montana.'' The NTEC also stated that the RMP ``prohibits the leasing of Federal coal, leaving skilled workers questioning the sustainability of the current economic environment. Passing the CRA resolution sends a clear message to families, small businesses, and energy partners that Montana is open for responsible development.''

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from Wyoming (Ms. Hageman).

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, in regard to my colleague's request for a colloquy, I will just say that it is necessary to do a CRA because the previous administration issued bad resource management plans. Had they not issued bad resource management plans, then we wouldn't be here today.

The thing about a CRA is if Congress passes this law, then another administration can't go back and put it in place. I think that is why my colleagues fear this process of using the CRA because then it would be up to a future Congress to go back and undo what we do in this Congress if we actually pass a Congressional Review Act.

Again, we are here today because the Biden administration decided to unbalance the scales and put onerous burdens on States, on our natural resources, and on the ability to produce our energy here.

Mr. Speaker, they started it by issuing the bad RMP. Hopefully, we will finish it by passing the CRA.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Colorado (Ms. Boebert).

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I do have ideological reasons for wanting to lower energy costs across America. The last time I checked at the gas pump, the energy prices are going down there. We are seeing a huge demand for energy across this country that is being driven even more by AI and data centers with unimaginable amounts of energy required for these facilities.

I heard about the announcement of a data center that would require the amount of electricity to run the city of Denver five times over in a year. One data center needs that much energy.

We see electric prices increase because there is more demand for electricity. We have had horrible energy policy in the past, and we haven't kept up with the demand.

The Chinese, on the other hand, are building new coal-fired plants. Every 2

days, they are building a new coal-fired plant, which is even harder to imagine. They are trying to beat us in this race on AI, and they are not going to let energy be the deciding factor on that.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Stauber).

Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time. I am prepared to close, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, it is a good thing that we have this tool called the Congressional Review Act that asserts the Article I authority that Congress has. You see, Mr. Speaker, we don't have to go begging a Secretary or asking the administration what actions we take. We get to determine which actions we take, and the Congressional Review Act is one of those tools that we have to take a big hammer to a bad policy.

I am glad that we are taking that big hammer to a terrible policy. We are also making it so that a future administration can't enact another bad policy like the ones that were put into place with these three RMPs that we will be addressing today. That is a good thing.

It is a good thing that we are focusing on unleashing American energy. The time to do that is now. The time to restore balanced management to our public lands is now.

It is now time to put Big Sky Country ahead of Beijing. It is past time that we do that. If allowed to continue, the Miles City RMP amendment developed by the previous administration could have devastating impacts on Montana and the entire U.S. economy.

Passing this CRA will help reinvigorate America's coal industry. Also it will unleash American energy.

In my district, I have a coal-fired plant that was built in 2010. To my knowledge, that was the last coal-fired plant built in the United States. Again, I mentioned earlier that China is building 120 gigawatts a year. That is one every 2 days, one of those 650-megawatt coal plants every 2 days that they are putting on line.

What are we doing with coal plants across America?

We have been closing them down. They provide reliable baseload energy.

That coal plant in my district that provides energy to businesses and energy to homes can't operate without coal, and that coal comes from the Powder River Basin. When we harness our resources out West and use those, it is a good thing, but when we lock them up, then we keep electricity from being affordable and we keep it from being reliable not just for constituents in Montana but for people all across this country.

That is exactly one of the many reasons I am supporting this CRA today. It means affordable, reliable energy. It means improved national security. It means good-paying jobs for rural Americans and millions of dollars in revenue for the U.S. Treasury.

Mr. Speaker, I urge the adoption of this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 672, I call up the joint resolution (H.J. Res. 106) providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Bureau of Land Management relating to ``Central Yukon Record of Decision and Approved Resource Management Plan'', and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.J. Res. 106.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.J. Res. 106, a Congressional Review Act resolution led by Congressman Nick Begich of Alaska. This CRA reverses a resource management plan, or RMP, for the central Yukon region in Alaska, which locked up an astonishing 13.3 million acres of land.

Alaska is crucial to our national security and economic prosperity. In 2020, President Trump announced a draft RMP for the central Yukon that, among other provisions, revoked Public Land Order 5150 and unleashed American energy.

For more than a decade, the State of Alaska has worked on this RMP to revoke Public Land Order 5150, which would unlock millions of acres of land from restrictive, de facto wilderness management and return it to multiple use.

Unfortunately, the previous administration reversed this decision against the wishes of Alaskans and finalized a new RMP that enshrined Public Land Order 5150.

On his first day in office in 2025, President Trump issued Executive Order No. 14153 on ``Unleashing Alaska's Extraordinary Resource Potential,'' which directly called for repealing the Biden administration's central Yukon RMP. This CRA advances President Trump's executive order.

Why is this CRA so important? Revoking Public Land Order 5150 is the first step in allowing the State of Alaska to acquire lands that are critical to two essential projects: Ambler Road and the Alaska LNG pipeline.

Currently, our adversaries have a choke hold on worldwide mineral supply chains. Alaska, our 49th State, has rich deposits of 49 out of the 50 minerals on the critical minerals list.

With such abundant resources in our own backyard, it should be appalling to

every American that the United States relies 100 percent on imports for 12 of the 50 critical minerals on the critical minerals list. What is more, our Nation is 50 percent net import reliant for an additional 29 critical minerals on the list.

The smartphones that we carry around every day in our pockets contain 15 critical minerals. Computers, home appliances, and batteries all rely on critical minerals.

The Ambler Mining District in Alaska is home to some of the largest deposits of these minerals, including copper, cobalt, and zinc. Just four deposits in the Ambler Mining District alone have an estimated resource value of $26 billion.

Currently, there is no way to access these minerals. To do so, we need to construct Ambler Road. Last year, the Biden administration denied a permit for Ambler Road, effectively preventing Alaskans from developing their own resources.

Passing this CRA is the first step in allowing Alaska to acquire these lands outright, creating long-term certainty for this project.

Constructing this road and allowing access to the Ambler Mining District is expected to create thousands of new jobs and produce $1.1 billion of revenue for Alaska. Road construction alone will create more than 350 jobs, creating economic opportunity desperately needed in rural Alaska.

Keep in mind, this is only one project unlocked by this CRA. This CRA will also help the advancement of the Alaska LNG pipeline project.

Global demand for energy is expected to double by 2050, and our domestic energy production must rise to meet that demand. With the rise of data centers and AI fueling this growth, it is more important than ever that we produce energy here at home rather than ceding energy dominance to hostile foreign nations like China and Russia.

Once online, the project will produce 3.5 billion cubic feet of natural gas daily and sustain more than 10,000 jobs. Through this project, Alaskans will gain long-term and affordable gas for home heating and industrial needs.

Currently, the gas supply for Alaska from the Cook Inlet is uncertain, and local utilities are evaluating alternate supplies, including importing LNG. It goes against all common sense to import LNG into Alaska when the State is blessed with abundant resources that can supply the State and beyond.

Every action must be taken to provide North Slope-produced gas to Alaskans for their home heating and local industry needs. In addition to providing gas to Alaska, the Alaska LNG pipeline will be able to export 20 million tons of LNG yearly, reaching our Asian allies in 6 days with no strategic choke points. It is no exaggeration to say that creating this pipeline is one of the most crucial steps we can take to counter China's influence in the Indo-Pacific.

Earlier this year, I led a bipartisan congressional delegation to Taiwan, Japan, and South Korea. Taiwan has already signed a letter of intent with the State of Alaska to purchase Alaskan LNG, and both Japan and South Korea are deeply interested in pursuing American energy from Alaska as well as other Pacific Rim nations.

The message we heard at each stop was universal and resounding: Without certainty in the timeline and our permitting system, these countries won't be able to buy our energy.

Make no mistake, these are our allies, and they desperately want to buy American. They would much rather get their energy from the North Slope than from China and Russia, the friends of North Korea.

Today's CRA is the first step in providing energy certainty to Alaska and our allies abroad. We are taking strong, decisive action to remove barriers that prevent us from accessing our own energy and minerals.

By unleashing Alaska's extraordinary resource potential, we are providing energy certainty and affordability to Alaska and creating thousands of well-paying jobs, generating billions of dollars in revenue for Federal and State coffers, and keeping America and our allies safe from foreign adversaries.

I commend Representative Begich, the entire Alaska delegation, and Governor Dunleavy for their work on this effort.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the joint resolution, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from Alaska (Mr. Begich), the lead sponsor of this legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I will point out the great work that my colleague from Alaska has done on this issue and the potential that is in Alaska.

We had the Committee on Natural Resources up there last week, and we had a bipartisan group there turning around and looking at all of the many, many resources that are in Alaska, the vast size of Alaska, and the burdens that the Federal Government has put on the State and really, I think, fallen short of living up to the promises that were made when Alaska became a State. We talked about Native Americans and their input in the process.

Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record this letter from Doyon Limited.

Doyon, Limited,

Fairbanks, AK, July 21, 2025.

Hon. Nicholas J. Begich III

House of Representatives,

Washington, DC.

Dear Representative Begich: Thank you for introducing H.J.

Res. 106, to disapprove the November 12, 2024, Central Yukon

Record of Decision and Approved Resource Management Plan

(Central Yukon RMP). Doyon, Limited (Doyon) strongly supports

this joint resolution and urges Congress's and the

President's swift action to reject this misguided and harmful

planning decision.

Doyon is a major stakeholder in the Bureau of Land

Management's (BLM) Central Yukon RMP planning process. Many

large tracts of lands that were conveyed to Doyon under the

Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA) are surrounded

by, or abut, BLM-managed public lands. Doyon owns substantial

interests in the Central Yukon Planning Area, holding an

ownership interest in approximately 4.65 million acres. In

addition, it has selected an additional 127,000 acres in the

Planning Area under ANCSA that have not yet been conveyed.

Doyon's land base shares approximately 3,000 miles of border

with BLM lands--potentially more than any other Indigenous

landowner in the nation. Consistent with ANCSA's intent, much

of the land that Doyon selected was selected for its economic

development potential.

As Doyon explained to BLM throughout the Central Yukon RMP

planning process, further enveloping Doyon's lands within new

or expanded Areas of Critical Environmental Concern (ACECs)

and other restrictive land designations, and otherwise

imposing restrictions on use of surrounding lands, will

further complicate access to and use of Doyon lands, and

potentially prevent Doyon from fully realizing the economic

and other benefits that Congress intended it would enjoy as a

result of ANCSA's settlement of aboriginal land claims. In

addition, because oil and gas, mineral, and other resource

prospects often straddle federal, state, and/or private

lands, the more that BLM planning processes place lands off

limits to multiple uses, the more likely resource development

opportunities will be unavailable on Doyon (and other non-

federal) lands in the vicinity, impeding Doyon's ability to

make economically productive use of its lands as Congress

intended when it settled aboriginal land claims in Alaska.

The management decisions made in the 2024 Central Yukon RMP

also will have long-term implications for communications,

electric transmission, and other infrastructure activities in

the region, adding further obstacles to what already are

extraordinary challenges to connecting rural communities in

Alaska.

Doyon devoted significant resources to engaging with BLM

over the course of the Central Yukon RMP planning process to

ensure that the result of that process reflects the

principles of multiple use and sustained yield established

under the Federal Land Policy and Management Act, as well as

the unique framework that Congress established in Alaska

under ANCSA and Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation

Act (ANILCA). Unfortunately, despite these concerted efforts

of Doyon and others, the 2024 plan fails to do that.

Key flaws justifying congressional disapproval of the 2024

Central Yukon RMP--as further detailed in the protest that

Doyon submitted in response to the Central Yukon Proposed

Resource Management Plan and Final Environmental Impact

Statement released by BLM on April 19, 2024--include the

following:

The 2024 Central Yukon RMP improperly designates certain

ACECs/Research Natural Areas by including areas that do not

meet applicable requirements for designation and management

of ACECs and improperly determines special management

attention is required. It also improperly designates ACECs

that effectively surround or restrict access to Doyon-

conveyed lands, as well as that include Doyon-selected lands.

The 2024 Central Yukon RMP fails to appropriately address

impacts of right-of-way exclusion and avoidance areas on

access and other activities.

The 2024 Central Yukon RMP fails to adequately and

appropriately address access rights guaranteed under Section

1323(b) and Title XI of ANILCA.

The 2024 Central Yukon RMP inappropriately concludes that

hypothetical future development of mineral deposits in the

Ambler Mining District, Wiseman East and West deposits, and

the Ray Mountains could ``significantly restrict subsistence

uses and have a disproportionate negative impact'' on certain

``environmental justice communities'' as well as

``significantly restrict subsistence uses for'' certain

communities.

The 2024 Central Yukon RMP fails to fully consider

potential impacts of designating certain lands as Visual

Resource Management (VRM) Class II and redesignate them as

VRM Class III or IV.

The 2024 Central Yukon RMP improperly ignores the long

history of BLM's calling for the lifting of the ANCSA

17(d)(1) withdrawals and fails to provide a rational

explanation for retaining those withdrawals other than for

the limited purposes of selection by Alaska Native Vietnam-

era veterans.

The 2024 Central Yukon RMP violated the National

Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) in adopting a new alternative

not made available to the public for review and comment and

in not providing the public an opportunity to provide

informed comment after correction of an error in stated ANCSA

17(d)(1) acreages.

We appreciate your efforts to move forward with disapproval

of the 2024 Central Yukon RMP and we urge Congress and the

President to move quickly to enact this joint resolution.

Please let us know if you have any questions or if we can

provide any additional information.

Sincerely,

Sarah E. Obed,

SVP External Affairs Doyon, Limited.

Mr. Speaker, I will read from this letter to show what is really happening in Alaska.

It says: ``Doyon strongly supports this joint resolution and urges Congress' and the President's swift action to reject this misguided and harmful planning decision.

``Many large tracts of lands that were conveyed to Doyon under the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act [ANCSA] are surrounded by, or abut, BLM-managed public lands. Doyon owns substantial interests in the Central Yukon Planning Area, holding an ownership interest in approximately 4.65 million acres.

``Doyon's land base shares approximately 3,000 miles of border with BLM lands--potentially more than any other indigenous landowner in the Nation. Consistent with ANCSA's intent, much of the land that Doyon selected was selected for its economic development potential.

``As Doyon explained to BLM throughout the Central Yukon RMP planning process, further enveloping Doyon's lands within new or expanded Areas of Critical Environmental Concern [ACECs] and other restrictive land designations, and otherwise imposing restrictions on use of surrounding lands, will further complicate access to and use of Doyon lands, and potentially prevent Doyon from fully recognizing the economic and other benefits that Congress intended it would enjoy as a result of ANCSA's settlement of aboriginal land claims.''

That is from the people who were affected on the ground by this misguided resource management plan that the previous administration put in place. It is an honor to be here today to be able to use the CRA to, hopefully, reverse that plan and prevent other administrations in the future, from either party, from putting such ridiculous management plans in place.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, this idea that Alaska native Vietnam-era veterans can't select lands is just factually inaccurate and fear-mongering.

Congress has already statutorily codified the Alaska Native Vietnam- era Veterans Land Allotment Program in 2019. Nothing in this CRA repeals those requirements under the 2019 law. In fact, the House just passed a 5-year extension of this program in July. To suggest that we are now somehow unsupportive of this program is ludicrous.

Congress is using the CRA for this RMP because there weren't enough public land order revocations, not because there were too many. Keeping the withdrawal revocations for Alaska native Vietnam-era veterans and adding new withdrawal revocations would be entirely consistent with the CRA. The argument is ironic coming from my colleagues on the other side of the aisle as Secretary Haaland unnecessarily delayed the implementation of this program for years, despite strong demands from the Alaska delegation that outdated PLOs be lifted so land selections could begin.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Alaska (Mr. Begich) who understands this better than anyone.

Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time. I am prepared to close and reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time to close.

This CRA is crucial to unleashing Alaska's abundant natural resources. It will unleash billions of dollars' worth of oil, natural gas, and critical minerals that are critical not only to Alaska's economy and security but also to the economic and energy security of the United States and will extend further to our allies around the world.

This is a very important issue. This CRA shifts land management back to Alaskans and away from NGOs and environmentalists in the lower 48 who have had way too much of an oversized impact on the decisions made in Alaska. It is essential to projects that will create tens of thousands of jobs, generate billions of dollars in revenue for the U.S. Treasury and the State of Alaska, and again make our Nation less reliant on hostile foreign nations.

I commend Representative Begich once again for his work on this effort. He is a tremendous and fierce advocate for Alaska. Through his efforts, we are helping President Trump and his administration advance executive orders and usher in the golden age of American and Alaskan energy dominance.

Mr. Speaker, I urge adoption of this joint resolution, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 672, I call up the joint resolution (H.J. Res. 105) providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Bureau of Land Management relating to ``North Dakota Field Office Record of Decision and Approved Resource Management Plan'', and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.J. Res. 105.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.J. Res. 105, led by Representative Fedorchak of North Dakota.

This Congressional Review Act resolution reverses a resource management plan, or an RMP, finalized in the waning days of the last administration that locked up more than 4 million acres of land in North Dakota.

Astonishingly, this RMP blocked coal leasing on 99 percent of coal deposits in North Dakota and prohibited oil and gas leasing on an additional 44 percent of Federal land.

North Dakota is a top 10 coal-producing State and the number 3 oil and gas producer in the Nation. According to State estimates, North Dakota produces 400 million barrels of oil, 1.1 trillion cubic feet of natural gas, and 27.5 million tons of lignite coal annually.

To put this in perspective, North Dakota produces enough natural gas to heat 15 million homes for an entire year, equivalent to 100 billion kilowatt hours of electricity.

U.S. electricity consumption is projected to hit an all-time high this year, and electricity demand will grow by as much as 128 gigawatts through 2029. Fueled by new data centers and AI, these estimates of electricity demand are five times higher than earlier forecasts.

The United States should be the world leader in energy and mineral production. We are blessed with abundant resources. We have the brightest minds, and we maintain the most rigorous and clean production standards in the world. Yet, the anti-American energy policies pursued by radical environmentalists in the previous administration crippled communities reliant on energy jobs, weakened us on the global stage, and enriched adversarial nations that were able to cash in as we took a back seat in the global energy market.

The road to energy dominance and meeting this growing demand runs through North Dakota. Advancing this CRA is the first step in helping to unleash American energy and reinvigorate America's beautiful coal industry, as President Trump has called for in his recent executive orders.

This CRA is important not just to the people of North Dakota but also our collective American energy and mineral security. If you have ever worried about your electricity bill or wondered if prices at the pump might cancel a family vacation, then you should care about reversing ill-advised lockups of our energy and mineral resources.

Energy production is critically important to the Western way of life, sustaining small rural communities and generating much-needed economic activity. Passing this CRA will save an estimated 12,000 jobs in North Dakota just in the coal industry alone.

This CRA is also crucial to prevent an estimated loss of $34 million annually in State revenues from oil and gas production. These funds are used to finance K-12 public education in the State.

What does this mean for children in North Dakota? Failing to pass this CRA could result in a $441 reduction in the amount of funds spent on each child's education annually. This means fewer after-school programs, outdated textbooks, and more teachers having to reach into their own pockets to fund basic schoolroom supplies.

It should come as no surprise that the previous administration finalized this RMP over the strong objections of the State of North Dakota. The State's concerns were ignored. Instead, the BLM plowed ahead with this harmful RMP.

Good land management requires local buy-in and support. This RMP is not supported by North Dakotans. The only people who support this plan are the radical environmentalists who called the shots under the previous administration.

I commend our current Secretary of the Interior, Doug Burgum, who is spearheading the administration's efforts to restore energy dominance and listen to rural America. Secretary Burgum was the Governor when this RMP was finalized, and he led the charge in opposing this Biden- era preservationist plan.

I have full confidence that under the leadership of President Trump and Secretary Burgum, the BLM will emerge as an agency that works for North Dakotans and all those rural Western Americans who live closest to the lands.

I applaud Representative Fedorchak for her leadership on this effort on behalf of her constituents to right this wrong. I also recognize Senators Cramer and Hoeven, as well as my former House colleague and good friend, Governor Kelly Armstrong, for their work in supporting the

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, what is ironic is the fact that Secretary Burgum, when he was the Governor of North Dakota, vehemently opposed this resource management plan, but the prior administration just brushed him off. They didn't care what he thought or what the people of North Dakota thought, just like they didn't care what the Governor of Montana thought, what the Governor of Alaska thought, and what the people who lived in Montana and Alaska thought.

All they cared about was what their NGO and environmentalist friends in Washington, D.C., New York, and Los Angeles thought about lands in faraway rural places and how they wanted to impose their will on what happens in these rural areas where our resources abound.

Isn't it ironic that the resource management plans for the three States that we are talking about are Alaska, Montana, and North Dakota, States with very large landmasses, with abundant resources, and not a lot of people? That is the definition of rural America.

The previous administration was attacking rural America, and they used these misguided resource management plans as their tool to do that.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 6 minutes to the gentlewoman from North Dakota (Mrs. Fedorchak), the lead sponsor of this legislation and the only Representative from North Dakota.

Mr. Speaker, I yield an additional 1 minute to the gentlewoman from North Dakota.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, as we wrap up today on this final RMP, I include in the Record this GAO report that found that the RMP is subject to the CRA.

U.S. Government

Accountability Office,

Washington, DC, June 25, 2025.

Matter of U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land

Management--Applicability of the Congressional Review Act

to North Dakota Field Office Record of Decision and

Approved Resource Management Plan

File B-337175

Mr. Speaker, when we talk about lawsuits, there are already lawsuits that are being created because of this bad resource management plan that the former administration put in place.

After we do the CRA and we prevent this administration or future administrations from putting a similar resource management plan in place without it coming back to Congress, then maybe the current administration and Secretary Burgum can write a new resource management plan that actually makes sense, that actually takes into account America's need for energy, and that actually listens to the people in these States where these resources reside. While they are doing that, the previous resource management plan would be in existence.

Again, it is just fear-mongering to say that there will basically be no rules if this resource management plan gets removed under the Congressional Review Act.

Again, I thank the gentlewoman from North Dakota for her leadership on this important issue. The North Dakota RMP will have devastating ramifications not just in North Dakota but beyond. This CRA which rejects the failed energy policies of the previous administration is in alignment with the current administration's executive orders on unleashing American energy and reinvigorating America's coal industry.

In combination with the provisions that Republicans enacted through the reconciliation bill, this CRA will ensure that American energy remains affordable, reliable, and abundant.

America's future is bright as we unleash responsible natural resources development to meet our energy and mineral leads, to create jobs, and to drive economic growth across the country.

Mr. Speaker, I urge adoption of this resolution, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to shed light on the broken permitting process that creates roadblocks to unleashing American innovation and development while costing more taxpayer dollars with basically nothing to show for the expenses.

The Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023 attempted to change course and imposed a 2-year deadline and a 150-page cap on environmental impact statements. However, the Council on Environmental Quality reports that 61 percent of environmental impact statements still take over 2 years to complete.

The other two branches of government are taking actions to inject some regulatory common sense into the process. President Trump's ``Unleashing American Energy'' executive order directs Federal agencies to confine NEPA analysis to applicable law, and in May, the Supreme Court ruled unanimously on narrowing the scope of NEPA.

It is time for Congress to take bipartisan, bicameral action to fix the broken permitting and regulatory laws so that America can thrive.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 900) to direct the Director of the United States Geological Survey to establish a program to map zones that are at greater risk of sinkhole formation, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 900, the bill now under consideration.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of Representative Soto's bill, H.R. 900, the Sinkhole Mapping Act of 2025.

Sinkholes are a natural hazard that cost the United States Government approximately $300 million per year and pose a serious threat to public safety.

Sinkholes occur when there is a lack of proper external surface drainage so when a heavy rainstorm comes through and the ground cannot drain the water properly a void may form underground. From that point on, it is often simply a waiting game until the ground gives out and a dangerous sinkhole develops.

This bill would require the Director of the United States Geological Survey to establish a program that examines the short- and long-term causes of sinkholes. This research would provide the government with more accurate data on the costs incurred from these hazards.

The program would also create maps of areas most at risk of sinkholes, analyze the areas with the greatest risk of experiencing a sudden sinkhole and make maps publicly available to help community planners and government agencies prepare for and avoid these catastrophes.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, Mr. Soto's bill will help leverage modern technology and mapping data to gain a better understanding of the sinkhole hazards facing the country and empower local communities to prepare for and mitigate these hazards.

Mr. Speaker, I urge adoption of the bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.