"That's why MAGA extremists and wealthy corporate executives are fighting to protect their sweetheart deal. They want to continue the wildly unbalanced status quo that for far too long allowed bad actors, speculators and polluting industries to have lopsided access to the people's land."
Concern over the BLM rule change comes as House Republicans withhold votes to raise the federal debt limit unless President Joe Biden agrees to rescind much of the spending approved by Congress during the past two years, when Democrats held thin majorities in the House and Senate. Much of the Republican focus is on a return to federal oil, gas and coal leasing practices that are more affordable for industry.
House Republicans are including in their demands a return to quarterly oil and gas lease sales on public lands in nine Western states, including Montana.
Representatives are demanding the oil and gas royalty rate, recently increased to 16.67%, identical to the Montana state rate, be returned to 12.5%. Similarly, per-acre lease rates, recently increased to $10 per acre, would be cut to $2.
People are also reading…
Republican lawmakers are also seeking to prevent the Biden administration from doing anything that would delay new coal leases on federal land.
Some of what House Republicans are demanding from federal lands is already occurring.
The Bureau of Land management is carrying out quarterly oil and gas lease sales in Montana, North Dakota and in June and September, with a fourth quarter lease on the calendar.
