Recent rules will rob the Navajo Nation of hundreds of millions of dollars, force Colstrip to shutdown
To watch Daines’ remarks, click HERE.
U.S. SENATE – U.S. Senator Steve Daines today delivered the following remarks at the weekly Republican Senate Leadership press conference slamming the Biden administration for continued attacks on made-in-America energy production. Earlier this month, President Biden’s Department of the Interior (DOI) Secretary Deb Haaland quietly issued a mineral withdrawal and prohibition of oil and gas development affecting Navajo tribal members. Daines also called attention to the recent rule from President Biden’s EPA that would shut down coal powered plants like Colstrip costing Montana hundreds of good-paying jobs and raising prices for families.
“Last week, I was flying back home to Montana, had a connecting flight out West. I got off the flight in Denver and I met one of the leaders of the Navajo tribe from the southwest part of the United States. They were livid about what was about to happen in Washington, D.C.
“I hope that some of you will cover this story. I challenge you. I dare you to cover this story.
“I’m going tell you what happened. Quietly this past weekend, President Biden’s Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland issued a mineral withdrawal that prohibited oil and gas development for the Navajo people for the next 20 years despite strong opposition from the Navajo leadership. This isn’t just another hit to U.S. energy production, it is a devastating financial blow to the Navajo people.
“Many of these allottees live in small trailers. Some do not have running water or even electricity. The average income is $20,000 a year. These additional allotments for the oil and gas production would bring in an extra $28,000 a year, in other words, more than doubling their income. This is poverty in America with the Navajo people.
“The President of the Navajo tribe, President Nygren said this and I quote, ‘The Secretary’s action jeopardizes future economic opportunities, placing some 5,600 Navajo allottees in dire financial constraints.’ This is just yet another attack on made-in-America energy.
“Look at the EPA’s new proposed carbon emission standards that will completely crush power plants. I hope we learned a lesson from the Germans, you can’t shut down baseload power nuclear plants and coal plants without experiencing consequences of higher energy costs and dependencies on adversaries. These EPA standards will cost us 600 good-paying jobs in Montana. They power about 1.1 million homes.
“They’re heavy-handed. They’re anti-energy. They risk grid reliability and raising the price of utility bills for the American people. If we continue down this path of radically, unilaterally shutting down energy production, whether it’s Secretary Haaland and the Navajo, or the Biden’s EPA there’ll be a day we do not have enough reliable, affordable power to meet our energy needs. Over the next 25 years, the world will need 50 percent more energy than it needs today.”