Steve Daines Pushes Bill to Combat Rising Energy Prices, Boost Energy Independence

Senator Steve Daines (R-MT) on Thursday called on Congress to pass his legislation that would immediately restart oil and gas leasing on federal lands to combat rising energy prices and boost American energy independence.

“Congress must pass my bill, the SMART Energy Act, that requires President Biden to immediately restart oil and gas leasing on federal lands. We must support America’s energy independence, American energy jobs & American energy production. Especially during these times,” Daines said in a statement.

Daines’s Supporting Made in America Renewable and Traditional (SMART) Energy Act would require Interior Secretary Deb Haaland to hold four onshore oil and gas lease sales in the top seven oil and gas producing states as well as two offshore oil and gas lease sales in both the Gulf of Mexico and Alaska region. The top seven oil and gas producing states are Wyoming, New Mexico, Colorado, Utah, North Dakota, Oklahoma, and Nevada. It would also support the expansion of wind, solar, and geothermal energy on public lands.

The legislation would:

• Onshore:
  • Requires the Secretary of the Interior to immediately resume oil and gas lease sales
  • Requires a minimum of 4 lease sales in the top seven public land producing states: WY, NM, CO, UT, MT, ND, OK, NV, and all other eligible states.
  • Requires a replacement sale if any of the four required sales were paused or canceled.
  • Requires the creation of wind, solar, and geothermal energy priority areas on public land
• Offshore
  • Requires two region-wide offshore oil and gas lease sales in each of the Central Gulf and Western Gulf of Mexico Planning Areas
  • Requires two region-wide offshore oil and gas lease sales in the Alaska Region
  • Requires the development of an offshore wind leasing program in the Atlantic and Pacific Regions
  • Requires the development and approval of a new oil and gas leasing program before the close of a previous program.

Sens. Cindy-Hyde Smith (R-MS), Roger Marshall (R-KS), Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), and James Lankford (R-OK) have cosponsored Daines’ legislation.

Daines’ renewed his push for the SMART Energy Act as Americans continued to grapple with rampant inflation, and energy prices continued to rise after Russia started its assault on Ukraine. Oil topped $100 for the first time in seven years.

Last year, Biden issued a ban on all new oil and gas lease sales on federal lands. Although a federal judge blocked the ban, the Biden administration has yet to hold an oil or gas lease sale in Montana.

Sean Moran is a congressional reporter for Breitbart News. Follow him on Twitter @SeanMoran3.