S 104119th CongressIn Committee

Overturn Biden’s Offshore Energy Ban Act

Introduced: Jan 15, 2025

Standard Summary

Comprehensive overview in 1-2 paragraphs

This bill, introduced in the Senate by Senator Ted Cruz, is titled the Overturn Biden’s Offshore Energy Ban Act. It would rescind two Presidential memoranda issued January 6, 2025 that withdrew certain areas of the U.S. Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) from oil and natural gas leasing. By declaring those memoranda to have no force or effect, the bill would remove the administration’s offshore leasing restrictions and effectively reopen those offshore areas (the Gulf of Mexico, Atlantic, Pacific, and the Bering Sea) to potential oil and gas leasing and development. The measure aims to overturn the Biden administration’s offshore energy ban and could set the stage for future lease sales in those regions.

Key Points

1Short title: The act is named the “Overturn Biden’s Offshore Energy Ban Act.”
2Purpose: To rescind Presidential memoranda that withdrew parts of the OCS from oil and gas leasing.
3Specific memoranda targeted:
4- One memorandum dated January 6, 2025 covering the Gulf of Mexico, Atlantic, and Pacific OCS areas.
5- One memorandum dated January 6, 2025 covering the Bering Sea OCS areas.
6Effect of passage: The memoranda would have no force or effect, effectively allowing leasing in those offshore areas to proceed under applicable laws and regulatory processes.
7Next steps for passage: The bill would need to pass both chambers of Congress and be signed by the President; it would then be implemented through standard Interior Department (OCS) leasing and environmental review processes, subject to any future regulatory updates or legal challenges.

Impact Areas

Primary group/area affected- Oil and gas industry and energy developers: potential access to new offshore lease opportunities and revenue prospects.- Federal and state governments: potential changes in leasing activity, royalties, and federal revenue timing.Secondary group/area affected- Coastal states and local economies near offshore areas: potential economic impacts tied to leasing, development, and related activity (jobs, tax revenue), with varied local opinions on environmental and tourism effects.- Environmental groups and wildlife interests: potential changes to offshore drilling activity, with concerns about spills, habitat disruption, and ecosystem impacts.Additional impacts- Indigenous and coastal communities: potential effects on subsistence, fishing, and cultural resources; monitoring of development impacts may be needed.- Environmental and climate policy landscape: reopening leasing could influence broader climate goals and regulatory debates, including NEPA environmental reviews and potential legal challenges.- Legal/regulatory dynamics: even with repeal of memoranda, leasing would still proceed under existing federal laws (e.g., Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act) and could face litigation or new regulatory requirements depending on administration actions and court rulings.

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