Click here to watch Ranking Member Barrasso’s remarks.  

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator John Barrasso (R-WY), ranking member of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources (ENR), delivered the following remarks at a business meeting to consider the nominations of:

• Ms. Laura Daniel-Davis, to be assistant secretary of Land and Minerals Management at the Department of the Interior; and
• Ms. Sara Bronin, to be chairman of the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation. 

To watch the full business meeting, click here. 

Senator Barrasso’s Opening Remarks: 

“Today we will consider the nominations of Ms. Laura Daniel-Davis and Ms. Sara Bronin. 

“I strongly oppose the nomination of Ms. Daniel-Davis to serve as assistant secretary of Land and Minerals Management at the Department of the Interior. 

“Under her supervision, Interior rescinded previously issued grazing permits and imposed an oil and gas leasing moratorium on federal lands. 

“Under her direction, the Bureau of Land Management has undermined our nation’s energy and mineral security. 

“In October, the Bureau imposed a moratorium on federal nickel and copper mining leases in Minnesota. 

“The Bureau is locking up the largest undeveloped known nickel and copper deposit in the world. 

“One of the planned mining projects would produce enough minerals to build a quarter of a million electric vehicle batteries. 

“At the end of last month, the Bureau made it more difficult to obtain drilling permits on existing oil and gas leases. 

“It is also pressuring local BLM offices to give up even more decision making authority to Washington. 

“Ms. Daniel-Davis’ decisions are a gift to OPEC, Russia, and China. 

“I encourage all our committee members to vote against her nomination. 

“We will also consider Ms. Bronin. As I stated at our markup earlier this month, I cannot support the nomination.”

Senator Barrasso’s Remarks on Daniel-Davis Nomination:

Click here to watch Ranking Member Barrasso’s remarks on Daniel-Davis Nomination.

“I’d like to say a few words before we vote on Ms. Daniel-Davis.

“Since the start of the Biden administration, Ms. Daniel-Davis has been doing everything she can undermine American energy production. 

“We saw it again last month. Americans are paying the price for this. 

“At the end of October, the Bureau of Land Management – which Ms. Daniel-Davis oversees – took another step to make it more difficult to produce oil and natural gas on federal lands. 

“The Bureau argues that climate change justifies additional layers of red tape, which is probably why President Biden begged Vladimir Putin for more energy because they are shutting it down in America. 

“The Bureau fails to acknowledge that stopping oil and gas production on federal lands will have no impact on the world’s total oil and gas production. 

“Secretary Haaland admitted this fact at her confirmation hearing. 

“I asked Ms. Haaland if she was ‘aware of any evidence that suggests that a ban on oil and gas leasing on federal lands and waters is going to reduce the world’s total production of oil and gas?’ 

“Her answer was, ‘No.’ 

“Mr. Chairman, stopping oil and gas leasing on federal lands and waters will do nothing to address climate change. 

“It will make the United States more dependent on our adversaries, like the OPEC cartel and Russia. 

“And it’s going to continue to make American energy more expensive.

“Americans are facing the highest rate of inflation in 30 years. 

“We are facing the highest prices at the pump in seven years, higher prices this winter to heat their homes. 

“The last thing the American people need are policies from this administration that will make American energy more expensive. 

“That is what House Democrats are trying to do in their reckless tax and spending bill. 

“And that is exactly what Ms. Daniel-Davis will do if she is confirmed. 

“I urge all my colleagues to vote ‘no’ on this nomination.”

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