Lubbock Times

House Budget Chairman Jodey Arrington and Western Caucus Chairman Dan Newhouse have introduced the Abundant American Resources Act of 2024. This legislation mandates federal land management agencies to conduct a study on the economic valuation of resources in areas that have been withdrawn or protected from exploration and production.

"Since day one, the Biden-Harris administration has orchestrated a whole-of-government assault on American energy independence, enacting burdensome taxes and regulations against the oil and gas sector at a time when energy demand is skyrocketing. The administration has also weaponized the Antiquities Act to federalize 4.7 million acres of land, effectively preventing the federal government from extracting oil, gas, and minerals from these areas," said Chairman Arrington. "I’m proud to introduce the Abundant American Resources Act of 2024 with Western Caucus Chairman Dan Newhouse to expose just how much mineral value is being surrendered by the Biden-Harris administration."

"The United States is blessed with abundant mineral resources and could achieve significant domestic production if policymakers had the political will to do so," said Chairman Newhouse. "Instead of taking advantage of these resources, the Biden-Harris administration has decided to remove millions of acres of mineral-rich lands from development, increasing our reliance on adversarial sources, including the Chinese Communist Party, to meet our country’s energy needs. I’m proud to introduce this legislation alongside Rep. Arrington to help policymakers understand the value of America’s mineral wealth and to prove just how severe the Biden-Harris Administration’s lockups have been in hampering American dominance."

The bill has garnered support from various industry groups including the American Exploration & Production Council (AXPC), American Petroleum Institute, National Oceans Industries Association (NOIA), Energy Workforce & Technology Council, and U.S. Oil and Gas Association.

"Energy Workforce & Technology Council strongly supports the Abundant American Resources Act of 2024 introduced by Chairman Newhouse and Chairman Arrington. The American people hold tremendous resources on federal lands and waters; however, data regarding these resources are often outdated and unreliable," said Tim Tarpley, President of Energy Workforce & Technology Council. "America should have a full understanding of these resources, and the Abundant American Resources Act requires the Bureau of Land Management, United States Forest Service, and Director of Bureau of Ocean Energy Management to conduct a comprehensive study to accurately assess these resources."

"Chairman Arrington and Newhouse’s Abundant American Resources Act of 2024 will promote accurate accounting of our nation’s vast natural resources," said Erik Milito, President of National Ocean Industries Association. "Recognizing their value will yield significant benefits in terms of good governance and public accountability."

"The Abundant American Resources Act is an important step towards American energy security because it would strengthen responsible federal land and resource management," said Anne Bradbury, CEO of AXPC.

"The US Oil & Gas Association strongly supports Chairman Arrington's legislation to restudy the actual value of federal mineral estates," said Tim Stewart, President U.S. Oil & Gas Association.

"Energy development on federal lands is critical for strengthening America’s energy security," added Holly Hopkins Vice President Upstream Policy at API.

The act comes in response to several actions taken by the Biden-Harris Administration since taking office in 2021 which include withdrawing over 41 million acres from resource extraction activities.

The proposed legislation aims for an economic evaluation study covering withdrawn areas but excludes National Parks wilderness areas designated before 2000 or roadless areas.