US Interior Secretary "Respects Court's Decision Opposing Federal Land Drilling Ban"

Biden Administration's Key Pledge Blocked by Court Saying "No Authority"
Despite Saying It Will Follow Court Decision, No Announcement on Rent Resumption Timing

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] Deb Haaland, U.S. Secretary of the Interior, expressed respect for the court ruling that halted the Biden administration's policy banning oil and gas drilling leases on federal lands. However, she did not specify when the leasing would resume, fueling ongoing controversy within the United States. While the Republican Party and state governments, whose local economies are directly tied to energy businesses, strongly oppose the ban, the Biden administration is reportedly continuing to push forward with the drilling lease prohibition, a key pledge of its green policy agenda.

According to foreign media including The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) on the 16th (local time), Secretary Haaland appeared before a Senate subcommittee and stated, "We respect the court's decision that the order banning oil and gas drilling leases violates the law, and we are reviewing the judge's opinion who issued the ruling while consulting with the Department of Justice."

Earlier, a federal court in Louisiana ruled that the Biden administration does not have the authority to ban drilling leases on federal lands without congressional approval. Terry A. Doughty, judge of the Western District of Louisiana who issued the ruling, explained, "If the government wants to halt federal land leases for oil and gas production, congressional approval is required, and without it, there is no legal right to stop the leases," adding, "Due to this ban, more than 12 states are expected to suffer immediate economic damage as they cannot collect lease bidding fees."

This ruling followed a lawsuit filed by 12 U.S. state governments, including Louisiana, Alabama, and Alaska, against the Biden administration's ban on oil drilling leases on federal lands, which has been in effect since March. Since taking office in January, the Biden administration has been promoting an executive order banning oil drilling leases on federal lands as a core pledge of its green energy policy.

However, Secretary Haaland did not specify when the land leasing would resume, suggesting that political controversy in the U.S. will continue. Bill Cassidy, a Republican senator representing Louisiana, urged, "The president should not take away tens of thousands of jobs under the pretext of fulfilling campaign promises," and called on the Department of the Interior to "immediately resume lease sales."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.