SW Arkansas Times

This week, members of the House Committee on Natural Resources traveled to Alaska for a series of site visits, including the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska (NPR-A) and the Native Village of Nuiqsut. Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources Chairman Pete Stauber (R-Minn.) issued a statement regarding the trip:

"This week, I was proud to join Governor Dunleavy, Senator Sullivan, and my colleagues on the House Natural Resources Committee to see first-hand the vast natural resources that Alaska is blessed with, including oil and natural gas that helps power our American economy and mineral deposits that are necessary for our country’s future. Each and every day, Alaskans prove that these resources are developed in a safe and responsible manner. It is beyond shameful and darn near criminal that the Biden-Harris Administration has punished Alaska with 66 executive actions aimed squarely at preventing Alaskans from developing their vast, God-given natural resources. This Administration pushes these punitive actions without properly consulting Alaska Native communities and other Alaskans that these decisions affect the most. These are all part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s ‘anywhere but America, any worker but America’ energy and mineral agenda.

"I’m proud to have introduced the Alaska’s Right to Produce Act, which would reverse the Biden-Harris Administration’s dangerous policies blocking oil and gas development in ANWR and the NPR-A. This bill passed the House this spring in a bipartisan fashion and now sits on Chuck Schumer’s desk. House Natural Resources Committee Republicans will continue to stand up for Alaska’s right to produce their natural resources and help cement our nation’s energy and mineral independence."

The delegation's historic trip included Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources Chairman Pete Stauber (R-Minn.), Subcommittee on Federal Lands Chairman Tom Tiffany (R-Wis.), U.S. Reps. Russ Fulcher (R-Idaho), and Mary Pelota (D-Alaska).

Members met with local, native, state leaders as well as stakeholders including Governor Mike Dunleavy in Anchorage. During these meetings, they discussed how Alaskans and the country could benefit from the state’s rich resources.

In September 2023, the Biden-Harris administration canceled previously issued leases in ANWR, ignoring statutory requirements which threatened future revenues for Alaskan Native communities. More recently, a proposed rule for managing NPR-A would effectively lock up 13 million acres from future energy production. These decisions could have significant economic impacts on local communities while also jeopardizing national security by limiting domestic energy production.

To counter these policies, H.R. 6285 "Alaska's Right to Produce Act of 2023" was considered by the Committee on Natural Resources. The act aims to reinstate previously issued ANWR leases as required by law while canceling proposed NPR-A rules. The bill passed with bipartisan support in May 2024.

Oil and natural gas production in Alaska generated $3.1 billion in state and local revenue in 2019 supporting over 77,000 direct or indirect jobs—approximately 25% of all jobs in the state—with many directly impacting Alaskan Native communities around North Slope areas. These revenues constituted 38% of Alaska’s General Fund revenue in 2019 while accounting for 90% of state business revenues during that year.