Statement of Administration Policy: H.R. 6285 - Alaska's Right to Produce Act of 2023

STATEMENT OF ADMINISTRATION POLICY

(House Rules)
(Rep. Stauber, R-MN, and 16 cosponsors)

The Administration strongly opposes H.R. 6285, which would require the Department of the Interior (Department) to withdraw its recently finalized regulations for the National Petroleum Reserve - Alaska (NPRA) and would prohibit any similar rule. The bill would also require reinstatement of all canceled leases and approval of all permits and authorizations for oil and gas development in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (Refuge). It would also nullify portions of Executive Order 13990, including the withdrawal of 125 million acres of the Arctic Ocean.

Alaska's majestic and rugged lands and waters are among the most remarkable and healthy landscapes in the world, sustaining a vibrant subsistence economy for Alaska Native communities. H.R. 6285 would block the Department from ensuring maximum protection of Special Areas, protecting subsistence activities, and ensuring balanced management for surface resources in the NPRA. Similarly, the bill would prohibit the Department from addressing legal deficiencies in the framework governing leasing in the Refuge by cutting public input, undermining the Department's management abilities, and reinstating leases in the Refuge, some of which were voluntarily relinquished by bidders that had their bids refunded. Finally, the bill would open ecologically sensitive areas in the Chukchi, Beaufort, and Bering Seas to oil and gas development, and undermine Tribal collaboration in the Northern Bering Sea.