WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator John Barrasso (R-WY), ranking member of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources (ENR), issued the following statement in support of the lawsuit the state of Wyoming filed challenging the de-facto moratorium on oil and gas leasing on federal land issued by President Biden and Secretary of the Interior Debra Haaland. The suit asserts that Haaland’s implementation of the leasing moratorium contained in Executive Order 14008 is invalid under federal law.

“Wyoming is fighting back against President Biden’s war on American energy workers. Governor Gordon is taking action to combat the Biden administration’s illegal ban on oil and gas lease sales on federal land,” said Barrasso. “As Secretary Haaland admitted, this executive order will do nothing to stop global oil and gas production. It will just force the United States to import more energy from other countries. The people of Wyoming were never consulted before this executive order was signed. Now, the administration will hear our arguments in court.” 

The lawsuit was filed in the Federal District Court of Wyoming. It states that the Biden administration’s action violate the National Environmental Policy Act, the Administrative Procedure Act, the Mineral Leasing Act and the Federal Land Policy Management Act. The lawsuit asks the court to set aside the secretary of the Interior’s action and require the Bureau of Land Management to resume quarterly oil and gas lease sales, which have been suspended since the order was signed. 

Read Wyoming’s lawsuit here. 

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