API wants Biden to reduce reliance on foreign oil imports with lease ban blocked
WASHINGTON - The American Petroleum Institute issued the following statement urging the Biden administration to lift the pause on new oil and gas leases on federal lands and waters in response to the federal judge ruling to resume new federal leasing.
“The federal leasing pause is harmful to our nation’s national security, environmental progress and economic recovery,” API vice president of upstream policy Kevin O’Scannlain said. “We are pleased to see the court ruling that natural gas and oil leasing must resume on federal lands and waters, and we urge the administration to move expeditiously to follow the court’s order and lift the federal leasing pause. Now is the time for the administration to put an end to this ‘import more oil’ policy that threatens American jobs and deprives state and local communities of much-needed revenue, all while likely increasing emissions and the risks of climate change.”