Haaland and deputy interior secretary testified before the Senate Natural resources committee. The senators, most of whom are from western states, asked about increasing Domestic Oil Production in the biden administrations interior Budget Priorities for 2024. The administration is requesting 18. 9 billion from the department as an increase of 2 million from 2023. This morning, the committee will be discussing the president s proposed fiscal year 2024 budget for the department of interior and other items within his purview. Id like to welcome secretary holland, deputy secretary boudreau back to the committee as well as interior budget director, denise flanagan. I wanna thank you all for joining us this morning to set the scene. I think its important to note for contexts that the congress provide the department an additional 48. 1 billion in the last 19 months including 47. 3 billion and targeted investments to the bipartisan infrastructure law and Inflation Reduction Act and 779 million increase in annual appropriations last year. But now the administration is requesting another 18. 9 billion for fiscal year 24 for the department, a two billion or 12 increase over 2023 fiscal year appropriations. So i really look forward to hearing the justification for such a large increases on top of historic funding. I also look forward to a robust discussion in the state of our leasing programs. I firmly believe that we and our allies are going to need fossil fuels for the foreseeable future. And that robust and continued leasing by the department are a key part of that effort to maintain us leadership and Energy Security. Unfortunately, the administrations actions and the president s own statements indicate, oh, im so sorry, indicated a desire to tamp down on oil and gas leasing. In fact, just last week, the White House Press secretary clearly said the administration doesnt like the provisions in the ira that i dont have anything to do with clean energy. Ill repeat that again. He doesnt like anything in the ira and that he says does not have anything to do with clean energy. They all knew perfectly well. There was a balanced Energy Security bill. I assume shes referring to the mandated offshore oil and gas leases that i included as well as the requirement that oil and gas leasing take place before renewable leasing can. If thats the case, let me first state for the record that american oil and gas is certainly clean energy compared to what the administration is considering importing from venezuela and morally cleaner than lifting sanctions on iran. But i also have to assume shes referring to these fossil provisions because interior internal, interior documents from the alaska lease cell made clear that the administration has manipulated the law to discourage oil and gas interest. In fact, they said in black and white that they chose a higher royalty rate to discourage Energy Production at the expense of alaskan Energy Security. Simply unconscionable to me, especially as the administration is hypocritically happy to target producers for not producing more while pursuing a Regulatory Environment and efforts designed to kill the industry by 1000 cuts. The truth is that we can produce cleaner energy than anywhere in the world and that production can help bring down our own energy costs and support our friends and allies at the same time. And this also provides needed revenue for both federal and state governments. In fact, the most recent sell mandated by the y would not be setting, we would not be setting bidding records if there was no need for oil and gas well into the future. Ive been very vocal about how concerned i am that we are still waiting for the next five year offshore program of oil and gas lease sales. And the department has said that a final program is not expected. Now until december, weve never even had a gap between programs before. Never a gap, let alone the year and a half delay that were expecting. Now, in fact, we talked about this exact issue at this same hearing last year. The lack of progress with this program combined with a lack of advanced preparation for 2024 sales. Unfortunately, sends a signal that you have no intention of holding any offshore lease cells in 2024. After the final mandatory sale in september 2023 i know this administration has a big goal set for offshore wind and Onshore Renewables goals that are relying on continued oil and gas leasing. I dont know why we just cant Work Together. I dont know why we cant agree that we need a balanced approach. So let me remind you that those are unattainable. If you dont do your jobs, i will be watching extremely closely to ensure you faithfully execute the law as required, not only by the r a but also by the mineral leasing act to ensure that on and offshore oil and gas leasing continues in federal Renewable Development only occurs if those requirements are met. Getting back to the budget while we are being asked to fund new initiatives, we are still waiting on the interior to comply with requirements in existing law with Agency Leadership laminating the lack of staff and agencies missing statutory deadlines. You would think that the department would be putting its resources towards meeting existing statutory requirements and deadlines. For example, two different requirements of the bipartisan infrastructure are now six months overdue. One to improve permitting of Critical Minerals and the other to implement Carbon Sequestration on the outer continental shelf. Instead, the department is prioritizing new administration developed initiatives in my view, and failures to comply with Laws Congress has passed is not a question of funding. Its a question of misplaced priorities or perhaps a willingness to ignore certain requirements. Madam secretary i raised this issue with you at last years budget hearing. Then in december, we talked about it with mr boudreau in our committees infrastructure implementation hearing after additional deadlines have been missed. So im disappointed that here we are again today and having the same conversation again. And im eager to hear from you about how you justify this 12 increase when the department hasnt completed the task at hand, but for which funding was provided, i also look forward to talking about the departments role in permitting and changes needed to the permitting process. I think we can all agree that five years or more it often takes in major energy or mining projects to get a permit in this country is not acceptable. Although let me note that i was very happy to see approval of the project. After a long last, this pace is clearly too slow to achieve any of our goals, whether it be energy and supply chain security, reducing emissions or reinvesting in communities impacted by the energy transition. I look forward to hearing how the doi is deploying its existing resources and current tools to help tackle this issue while acknowledging that significant permitting reforms will have to come from congress. Secretary holland when it comes to these energy and mineral programs that are so crucial to our energy and National Security, i must say for the last few years, it has felt like we are repeating the same conversations and having the same talks over and over. Im tired and i know other members of this committee are tired of asking again and again. When will we see progress on the action required by law and being told soon . And we are working on it, we need and deserve better answers than that. Especially given the importance of so much of what the department of interior is responsible to do. So. Im hoping that we can have a productive discussion today and actually get some detailed answers. Im going to recognize senator brasso for his opening statement. Well, thanks so much, mr chairman secretary, welcome back to the committee in wyoming. About half of our land is owned by the federal government, about two thirds of the minerals under the land are owned by the federal government. The secretary of interior controls access to these lands and to the minerals. And as a result, the secretarys decisions deeply affect the people of wyoming. Im sad to say that secretary holland has failed the people of wyoming. Her assault on American Energy has contributed to soaring Energy Prices across the country. Her efforts to block access to large swaths of the west has led to lost Economic Opportunities and her decision often ignore the law of the land. The secretary should be following the law instead of holding Quarterly Oil and gas lease sales. The secretary has held only one lease sale in two years instead of approving oil and gas permits on a timely basis. The secretary has doubled the length of the permitting process. Instead of setting royalty rates at a level to boost oil and gas production. The secretary has raised rates to discourage production instead of doing everything in our power to increase americas Energy Security. The secretary is jeopardizing our Energy Security and at the same time, our National Security. The sad fact is that the secretarys policies undermine even president Bidens Energy goals. World demand for copper is expected to increase by 300 by the year 2040. Nickel demand expected to increase by 1900 . Cobalt demand expected to increase by 2100 . Much of this demand will be driven by President Bidens mandates and subsidies for electric vehicles for wind farms for solar panels. Yet earlier this year, the secretary withdrew over 225,000 acres of federal land from Copper Nickel and Cobalt Development in minnesota. This site contains 95 of our nations nickel reserves. 88 of our cobalt reserves, 34 of our nations copper reserves, minerals from these projects could help produce seven million electric vehicles. Yet the secretary of interior is blocking projects that would produce the very materials that are needed to support the administrations stated agenda. Lets be clear, President Bidens agenda is not a transition from dirty energy to clean energy. Its a transition from American Energy to foreign minerals. And secretary hollands policies will only expand our dependence on our adversaries will increase our dependence on china. And on russia, the secretary is also attacking multiple use of the land, multiple use is a decades old bedrock principle of federal Land Management. In march, the department of interior released a proposed rule to allow entities to lease federal lands for the purpose, not of use but of non use. In other words, the secretary wants to make non use a use. Shes calling up down day night black white turning federal law on its head, the secretary is giving radicals a new tool to shut out the public. Remember, environmental radicals dont want the public to have access to public lands, families and communities in wyoming and throughout the west depend on access to public lands for grazing, for forest management, for recreation. Secretary of interior is aggressively working to take that access away from the public. Finally, the secretary is seeking to cut funding the budget that has a lot more money for a lot of things, wants to cut funding to the bureau of reclamation for the third year in a row. The bureau is responsible for delivering water to the people of the west. In wyoming, water sustains everything that we do. Our ranchers and farmers produce food for all americans. They need to know that theyre going to have enough water to do their jobs. So in the midst of a historic drought now is not the time to cut the budget for the department and the bureau of reclamation, the people of wyoming and all americans deserve better. Thank you, mr. Chairman. Now we will turn to secretary holland for her opening statement. Chairman manchin, Ranking Member barrasso and members of the committee. Thank you for the opportunity to testify in support of interiors fiscal year 2024 budget request. I am pleased to return to this committee today, accompanied by our deputy secretary Tommy Boudreaux and the director of the departments budget office, denise flanagan. Our 2024 budget totals 18. 9 billion in current authority, an increase of 2 billion from the 2023 level. First, i want to highlight several important proposals. These include significant reforms to support the wildland fire workforce, mandatory funding for future water rights settlements, expanding Good Neighbor and stewardship contracting authorities to include fish and Wildlife Service and the National Park service. 6. 5 billion over 20 years from the department of state to fund economicistance under the compacts of Free Association. Let me begin with wildland fire. The 2024 budget honors President Bidens commitment to address this issue and to assist firefighters supporting an additional 370 federal and 55 tribal fire personnel complementing the pay reforms. We also include a 46. 4 million increase for fuels management activities. Above 2023 these investments are crucial as wildfires were notably higher in 2022 than the 10 year average. Our budgets investments for reclamation in combination with the bipartisan infrastructure law and the Inflation Reduction Act will ensure reliable water and power to the american west. The reclamation request is nearly 1. 45 billion which is an anticipated to be augmented by over 2. 4 billion in other funds. Priorities include water, smart funding and dam safety. These funds will ensure we stay as nimble as possible in the face of drought and a changing climate stewardship of our Natural Resources is a core mission for us. Interior manages about 20 of americas lands and is responsible for protection and recovery of more than 2300 endangered and threatened species. Our request covers 3. 2 billion in annual funding for conservation efforts that supports key initiatives such as Wildlife Corridors and youth corps partnerships. The request also includes 140 million for fish and Wildlife ServicePartnership Programs that support voluntary conservation on public and private lands at the department. Science is our foundation. The usgs works with partners across the country to maintain 20,000 Groundwater Monitoring wells. 11 1008 100 11,800 stream gauges and 3800 quake sensors and directly monitor 70 volcanoes. The budget includes 128 million that supports nine Regional Climate Adaptation Science Centers with university partners. We are also looking forward to the lancet next mission that will take advantage of new technologies for global imaging data. When it comes to energy, were excited to be on our way to achieve the administrations goals to deploy 30 gigawatts of offshore wind capacity by 2030. As of last month, bom has conducted 11 Wind Energy Lease sales for areas in the atlantic and pacific oceans. Thats more than 2. 5 million acres of commercial Wind Energy Lease areas. The budget for boms Renewable EnergyProgram Includes a 12 million increase for permitting onshore blm is also making progress to permit 25 gigawatts of Renewable Energy on public lands. By 2025 blm has permitted more than 126 Renewable Energy projects processed many more and is working to support much needed transmission lines to meet these needs. We include 72 million for blms Renewable Energy program at the end of 2020. Interior staffing was at a 10 year low of around 60,500. When fully enacted, the budget would support an increase of 4000 personnel to over 68,000. Staffing is not only important for public facing positions like National Parks and refuges, but also for handling the full range of permitting matters before the department and meeting our trust and treaty obligations to our countrys Indian Tribes regarding infrastructure. Our request includes more than 3 billion for operations and maintenance. In addition, there is 1. 6 billion in mandatory funding available each year through the 2025 through the Legacy Restoration fund. At the end of 2023 our l r program will have initiated 276 projects touching all 50 states, washington dc, puerto rico and the us virgin islands. Those projects will address 3. 4 billion of our deferred maintenance backlog, creating an average of 17,000 jobs each year. Let me close with a few words about our Indian Affairs budget request. This administration has made a steadfast commitment to strengthen government to government relationships with Indian Tribes. With the total request of 4. 7 billion for Indian