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Houston area Congressman Dan Crenshaw (R-TX) introduced legislation last week to protect Texas energy jobs in the wake of President Biden's  executive orders on energy policy. The Conservation Funding Protection Act, introduced by Crenshaw, and Representatives Steve Scalise (R-LA), August Pfluger (R-TX), Ronny Jackson (R-TX), Randy Weber (R-TX), Louie Gohmert (R-TX), Lance Gooden (R-TX), Jerry Carl (R-AL), and Michael Guest (R-MS) would ensure that oil producers would retain access to critical energy reservoirs on the Outer Continental Shelf. That energy production funds conservation, coastal restoration, hurricane preparedness, wetland mitigation and public land maintenance.

"Texas energy producers are bearing the brunt of President Biden's foolish, job-killing executive orders in the first days of this administration," said Crenshaw. "Undermining Texas energy jobs and American energy independence appears to be a top priority of the Biden-Harris White House, and the administration is showing little regard to the livelihoods of blue-collar workers who are already struggling during this pandemic. Energy production is critical for jobs, our economy, and also funds coastland conservation and hurricane preparedness. This bill will ensure that production continues despite President Biden's terrible executive orders."

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For text of the legislation, click here.

BACKGROUND
President Biden issued an executive order January 27th imposing an indefinite moratorium on new oil and gas leases on federal land and water. As the Houston Chronicle reported in August, "a drilling ban on federal lands and waters could cost the oil and gas industry up to 1 million jobs nationally by 2022, including 120,000 jobs in Texas." Such a ban would also decrease offshore oil production by 44 percent and natural gas production by 68 percent within the next decade. 

If enacted into law, the Conservation Funding Protection Act would overrule Biden’s executive order.

In order to ensure that the Gulf region can steward the shelf’s resources, the Conservation Funding Protection Act would require at least two area-wide lease sales per year on available acreage in the Western and Central Gulf of Mexico. The Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act currently directs the Secretary of Interior to establish a schedule for lease sales on the Outer Continental Shelf but does not mandate the number of lease sales the department is required to hold.

This bill would maintain all current environmental laws and ensure that the Department of Interior conducts the environmental reviews required by law within clear time frames. The legislation does not alter environmental regulations for lease sales, rig operations or exploration.

Crenshaw's bill is the House companion bill to the Conservation Funding Protection Act introduced by Senator John Kennedy (R-LA).