Rep. Troy Downing (R., Mont.) is rolling out legislation to reverse what he calls “the Biden administration’s nonsensical war on American energy.”
Downing’s H.J. Res 104 — obtained exclusively by the Washington Reporter — repeals the “Miles City Field Office Resource Management Plan Amendment” (RMPA) from the Biden administration.
Downing’s office explained the RMPA “locks up more than 2.75 million acres of land and 11.7 million acres of mineral estate in Montana.”
This legislation is critical because around 30 percent of America’s coal reserves are in and around Montana’s 2nd District, which Downing represents.
If successful, Downing will “overturn restrictions that prohibit future coal leasing throughout the entire Powder River Basin in Montana,” generate $15 million in new federal energy revenue for the Treasury,” and “keep energy prices affordable and reliable by ensuring access to 37.8 billion short tons of coal,” which would supply America’s coal demand for almost a century.
Downing’s legislation is already supported by Montana’s entire delegation. The Montana Republican told the Reporter that “the Biden administration’s nonsensical war on American energy drove up prices, hamstrung economic development, and made the United States energy dependent, threatening our national security.”
“If America wants to continue to be the hotbed of innovation, we need to be energy independent,” Downing said. “H.J. Res. 104 ensures we have access to the Beautiful, Clean Coal we need to grow for years to come.”