The U.S. Senate adjourned on Friday for a six week summer recess without passing any sort of energy legislation.  Prior to its adjournment, the House of Representatives passed the CLEAR (Consolidated Land, Energy and Aquatic Resources) Act on July 30th by a 209 – 193 margin. Western Energy Alliance was instrumental in getting most of the egregious onshore provisions stripped from the bill and its companion, the “Blowout Prevention Act”, which were melded together for the vote.

We were disappointed to see bad legislation pass the House, but it could have been worse.  Initially, we were faced with a much more harmful set of bills, which we helped to improve considerably over the course of a few weeks by traveling to Washington, DC and garnering the support of Republicans and moderate Democrats. Western Energy Alliance’s members and staff provided targeted messaging and position papers to key congressional committees and leadership, generated grassroots letters, mobilized governors, state regulators and the IOGCC.  Western Energy Alliance led the advocacy effort on the onshore provisions, and coordinated with national and state trades to improve the final contents of this bill.

No Republicans from our region voted in favor of this bill.  Notable Democrats voting against the bill included: Stephanie Herseth-Sandlin (SD), Jim Matheson (UT), Ann Kirkpatrick (AZ), Earl Pomeroy, (ND), Harry Teague (NM), John Salazar (CO), and several oil patch Democrats from Oklahoma, Texas, and California.

It takes courage for a member of Congress to break with their party and vote against a bill, even if it’s a bad one.  As such, we need to express our thanks to the Democratic members of Congress who stood tall.  We also need to thank the members of Congress who are champions of the future viability of America’s energy producers and the critical economic, environmental and energy security solutions we provide.

The following policymakers deserve credit for their important leadership on the CLEAR Act and for supporting the 488,000 natural gas and oil employees in the Intermountain West:

Ranking Member Doc Hastings (R-WA) and his Republican staff at the Natural Resources Committee created an internet war room, issuing multiple press releases, hourly updates and talking points highlighting the harmful aspects of this legislation. Click here to read one of Hastings’ press releases highlighting facts supplied by Western Energy Alliance.

Congressman Doug Lamborn (R-CO) offered an amendment to the CLEAR Act repealing the $2 per barrel tax on all new and existing wells in the United States, which amounts to a new $22 billion tax on energy production.  Click here to view Lamborn’s statement.

16 oil patch and moderate Democrats circulated a letter among House leadership highlighting numerous negative impacts included in the CLEAR Act (Westerners included Harry Teague (NM), Earl Pomeroy (ND), Jim Matheson (D-UT) and Jim Costa (CA).

Wyoming Governor Dave Freudenthal (D-WY) also weighed in with a letter to Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

As members of Congress return to their districts to meet with constituents and campaign for the upcoming elections, Western Energy Alliance will be reaching out to thank some, and voice our concerns to others about their support of legislative proposals to raise taxes and give federal regulators greater control over energy development.   Please help us in this effort by reminding your elected officials that your business is creating jobs, economic activity and important revenue for state and local government.  Remind them that we need their support and appreciate their constructive actions.

For contact information for your member of Congress, click here.