Bill > HJR20

This Joint Resolution urges the withdrawal of proposed regulations by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), an agency within the Department of the Interior, that affect the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska (NPR-A). The NPR-A, established in 1923 to ensure oil for the U.S. Navy and later managed by the Secretary of the Interior, is a vast area on Alaska's North Slope that is home to Alaska Native communities and corporations. The resolution emphasizes the importance of meaningful engagement and consultation with tribes, local governments, and affected communities, citing federal policies that require honoring tribal self-determination and government-to-government relationships. It argues that the proposed BLM regulations were developed without sufficient consultation and do not align with existing law that supports oil and gas production, potentially impacting local economies, jobs, and the ability of communities to fund essential infrastructure. Therefore, the resolution calls for the withdrawal of these regulations and for future proposals to fully consider the economic benefits of resource development, including job creation and improved living standards, as well as the role of energy production in national security.