A federal judge in Louisiana pumped the brakes on the Biden administration’s ban on oil and gas leases on public lands, in a preliminary injunction issued on Tuesday night. Judge Terry Dougherty’s decision puts a pause on the president’s ban while lawsuits go through the courts in states affected by the ban.
“...that The United States Department of the Interior, Deb Haaland, Secretary of the Department of Interior, the United States Bureau of Land Management..., and all their respective officers, agents, servants, employees, attorneys and all other persons who are in active consent or participation with the above, are hereby ENJOINED and RESTRAINED from implementing the Pause of new oil and natural gas leases on public lands or in offshore waters...as to all eligible lands," the injunction reads.
Lawmakers in states severely affected by the administration’s harmful, job-killing order praised the Trump-appointed judge’s preliminary decision.
Glad to see Trump appointed judges acting as a firewall to @JoeBiden’s harmful attacks on Made-in-America energy. https://t.co/tXxV11lc5V
— Steve Daines (@SteveDaines) June 15, 2021
Tonight’s decision blocking Biden’s heartless ban on oil and gas leases on federal lands is important.
— Rep. Liz Cheney (@RepLizCheney) June 16, 2021
In Wyoming, we rely on oil and gas to support our economy & provide resources for our communities.
Our fossil fuels are national treasures that power our nation. https://t.co/Emucikw6TB
President Biden’s ban on new oil and gas leases is illegal. This decision is a victory for the rule of law and American energy workers. @POTUS’ illegal ban has hurt workers and deprived Wyoming and other states of a principal source of revenue that they use for public education. https://t.co/F2RpqsrUIo
— Sen. John Barrasso (@SenJohnBarrasso) June 16, 2021
Great news for Louisiana energy workers and their families!https://t.co/LIrYtbcYjP
— John Kennedy (@SenJohnKennedy) June 16, 2021
Congress should not sit idly by as this lawsuit makes its way through the courts. We should pass the POWER Act to protect the economies of states like Wyoming that rely on energy leases to educate our kids, create jobs, and support our local communities.
— Senator Cynthia Lummis (@SenLummis) June 16, 2021
The administration's harmful pause on issuing permits and leases was one of President Biden's first executive actions, in addition to halting construction of the Keystone XL Pipeline.