[NM] GOP lawmakers express opposition to federal drilling order

The Albuquerque Journal ^ | June 10, 2021 | Dan Boyd

[CedarDave]

SANTA FE — A federal pause on new oil and natural gas leases on public lands is continuing to reverberate at the Roundhouse.

Just days after a bevy of Democratic lawmakers expressed support for the moratorium, all 39 Republican legislators sent a letter to President Joe Biden expressing their opposition to it.

In their letter, the GOP lawmakers asked Biden to exempt New Mexico from any future fossil fuel moratoriums and blasted the letter sent by 24 Democratic legislators as misguided.

“We cannot devastate our economy and our livelihoods by supporting a federal regulatory scheme that fails to recognize the importance of our state’s oil and gas industry, and the jobs and the revenues it generates to provide needed services for our citizens,” the letter says.

New Mexico, which was the nation’s third-highest oil producer last year, has been historically reliant on the oil and natural gas industries as a source of tax revenue [40 percent of all income].

While recent governors — both Democrats and Republicans — have pushed to diversify New Mexico’s economy, the share of total state revenue backed by the oil and gas industries has increased in recent years.

With the pause on new leasing in place, the U.S. Department of Interior is reviewing oil and gas drilling policies, and is expected to release an interim report this summer.

A final decision will be made largely by Interior Secretary Deb Haaland, a former New Mexico congresswoman who was appointed by Biden and confirmed by the U.S. Senate in March.

[CedarDave]

... Interior Secretary Deb Haaland, a former New Mexico congresswoman who was appointed by Biden ...

She is likely the most radical environmental ideologue in the administration. She absolutely hates the oil and gas industry, believes it causes major pollution as well as global warming, and sees nothing wrong with shutting it down in favor of windmills and solar panels.

[CedarDave]

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[MuttTheHoople]

But, hey, the Swamp Republicans were able to get #BadOrangMan out of office, so they can go on writing “strongly worded letters” and feign outrage for their constituents, all the while indulging in spirit-cooking and illegal immigrant children with their Democrat buddies.

[capydick]

...all 39 Republican legislators sent a letter to President Joe Biden expressing their opposition to it.

Like they really really care, shoulda thought about the consequences while the slow rolling coup was under way and stood up to what the inevitable consequences to not standing up was going to be.

[Nateman]

Obama tried to shut down the coal industry. Back to that insanity once again.

[MikelTackNailer]

I can’t see where the Federal government can shut down ANY industry that’s not actually illegal. Biden’s pipeline shut-down order should have been ridiculed, mocked and taken to court while letting it operate; not obeyed. Just like the Democrat judges who use their positions to legislate and administrate from the bench when that’s clearly not their legitimate powers.