FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Thursday, July 25th, 2024 

CONTACT: Christianné Allen, Christianne.Allen@mail.house.gov   

CONTACT: Marisa Melton, marisa.melton@mail.house.gov

Fulcher: A Fundamental Pillar of National Security is Energy Security

WASHINGTON, D.C. Today, U.S. Congressman Russ Fulcher issued the following statement upon voting to advance the Fiscal Year 2025 (FY25) Department of Interior and Environment Appropriations Act, H.R. 8998.

“A fundamental pillar of the United States’ national security is our energy security,” said Congressman Fulcher. “This week, I voted in favor of the Fiscal Year 2025 Interior and Environment Appropriations Act. Promoting domestic energy production, doing away with bureaucratic job-killing regulations, and protecting access to public lands for energy development and recreation are paramount if we are to fortify U.S. national security and continue growing our economic competitiveness on the global stage.”

Bill Background:

  • Promotes U.S. energy production by prohibiting the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from implementing the methane fee on oil and gas producers, and requiring the Secretary of Interior to resume quarterly onshore oil and gas lease sales.

  • Allocates approximately $41.1 million to the state of Idaho, through the Payments in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) program, to offset lack of revenue due to the significant levels of federally owned land.

  • Prioritizes funding for Tribes and Wildland Fire Management, including permanently addressing wildland firefighter pay.

  • Protects access to public lands for grazing, recreation, and energy development by prohibiting the Bureau of Land Management’s Conservation and Landscape Health rule from going into effect, and eliminates burdensome restrictions on hunting, fishing, and recreational shooting on federal lands.

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