WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator John Barrasso (R-WY) issued the following statement on being elected ranking member of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources (ENR) for the 117th Congress.

“I’m honored to serve as the ranking member of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources,” said Barrasso. “I look forward to working closely with Chairman Manchin and all of the members of our committee. I am thankful to former Chairman Murkowski for her years of leadership and am glad she will continue to serve on the committee. I also want to welcome Senators Lankford, Marshall, Kelly, and Hickenlooper. Their insights will provide new perspectives and strengthen our work. 

“As ranking member, my focus will be on promoting American energy security, economic strength, and environmental stewardship. What we have seen in the first weeks of the Biden administration is a direct attack on America’s energy workers. The president has used executive orders to kill American jobs and raise energy costs for American families. I will not stand by while the Biden administration tries to destroy the livelihoods of thousands of people in Wyoming. 

“America’s West is blessed with abundant natural resources that we’ve used to become an energy superpower. We can’t afford to leave these assets stranded in the ground. I won’t let the administration unilaterally disarm and make our nation weaker and more vulnerable to Russia, China, and the Middle East. The United States needs an all-of-the-above energy strategy that includes traditional fuels like coal, natural gas, and oil, as well as nuclear and renewables. I will promote America’s incredible national parks, while also protecting all the important economic uses of our public lands and the jobs that come with them.” 

Along with Ranking Member Barrasso, ENR committee members in the 117th Congress include Chairman Joe Manchin (D-WV), and Sens. James Risch (R-ID), Mike Lee (R-UT), Steve Daines (R-MT), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), John Hoeven (R-ND), James Lankford (R-OK), Bill Cassidy (R-LA), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS), Roger Marshall (R-KS), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Angus King (I-ME), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), and John Hickenlooper (D-CO).