Sullivan Statement on House Passage of Democrats’ Reckless Tax and Spending Bill

Source: United States Senator for Alaska Dan Sullivan

11.19.21

WASHINGTON—U.S. Senator Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) issued the following statement after passage of the Democrats’ reckless tax and spending bill in the House of Representatives.

“The out-of-control spending being driven by radical far-left Democrats is going to do real, lasting damage to our economy. It’s going to have a huge cost for our country and American taxpayers are going to be the ones paying for it, both in terms of new taxes and inflation,” Sen. Sullivan said. “With the skyrocketing prices we’re already seeing as a result of the Biden administration’s failed policies, hard-working families in Alaska are paying more at the gas pump, the grocery store, and to heat their homes this winter. The Democrats’ reckless tax and spending bill is only going to make matters worse.

“This socialist spending spree is nothing more than a partisan liberal wish-list loaded with radical policies, like the Green New Deal, that will effectively kill the affordable and reliable energy that comes from American oil, natural gas, and coal from federal lands and waters. This bill is going to stick hard-working families with higher costs, lower wages and less freedom. I will fight like hell in the Senate to stop it.” 

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Menendez Statement on House Passage of Historic Build Back Better Act

Source: United States Senator for New Jersey Bob Menendez

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) today released the following statement after the U.S. House of Representatives passed President Biden’s Build Back Better legislation:

“With the House passage of the Build Back Better Act, we are one step closer to delivering President Biden’s agenda and paving the way for transformational change for generations to come. This legislation will help hardworking middle-class families by lowering their taxes and tackling the soaring costs of prescription drugs. It is a once in a generation investment in our children, expanding the Child Tax Credit and making affordable childcare accessible for millions of families in New Jersey and across the country. It will help combat the growing housing crisis and tackle the existential threat of climate change. And it provides long-overdue legal protections for millions of undocumented immigrants that kept the country afloat during the pandemic. Now, the Senate will continue to fight for the broadest immigration relief possible. We cannot fully build back better without protecting the dignity of millions of people who are critical to our long-term economic recovery. This is their home, and it is time for the Senate to help them fulfill their American dream.
 
“While we still have improvements to make to this bill and need to complete procedural steps in the Senate, I am confident the language of the House-passed Build Back Better Act puts us on the right path to achieve our shared goals. I look forward to working with my colleagues in the Senate to pass this bill and deliver for the people of New Jersey, immigrant communities across the country, and every American who just wants a shot at a better life.”

 

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Menendez Joins Bipartisan Effort Urging IRS to Investigate Pay-for-Service Scheme

Source: United States Senator for New Jersey Bob Menendez

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), a senior member of the Senate Finance Committee, signedon to a bipartisan letter urging Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Commissioner Charles P. Rettig to investigate recent reports suggesting a private company is charging taxpayers a premium to speak to an IRS representative or face potentially hours-long wait times. EnQ has allegedly been flooding the IRS with robo-calls and selling slots at the front of the hold line to paying customers, taking advantage of an already strained customer service system. EnQ, based in Florida, charges premiums as high as $1,000 per year.

“Being able to call the IRS is a free, public service that should be available on an equal basis. Paying to receive preferential access to the IRS should not be permitted,” the senators wrote to IRS Commissioner Rettig. “EnQ’s service creates a two-tiered system for taxpayers seeking to access assistance from the IRS.” 

In the letter, also signed by U.S. Senators Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-La.) and Todd Young (R-Ind.), the lawmakers called for the IRS to investigate whether EnQ has negatively impacted the capacity of the IRS phone systems and if so, to consider all appropriate remedies including 26 U.S. Code §?7212, which prohibits attempts to interfere with administration of internal revenue laws.

The letter additionally asked Commissioner Rettig to take necessary action to drastically improve the quality of service at the IRS. While the Internal Revenue Service has faced new challenges fielding incoming calls during the COVID-19 pandemic, the customer service problems began years earlier with the percentage of calls answered dropping from 32 percent in 2018 to 21 percent in 2020. In 2021, the IRS answered only 9 percent of incoming calls. Additionally, after waiting on hold for hours, many customers ultimately have their calls dropped.

“Such a troubling approach to dealing with taxpayers is not in-line with the Taxpayer Bill of Rights, which makes clear that taxpayers have a right to quality service. Reasonable access to the IRS is essential to a fair and effective tax system,” the senators added.

The full text of the letter can be found HERE and below.

Dear Commissioner Rettig:

During the 2021 filing season, the IRS answered only 9% of incoming calls.  We recognize that during this time, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) saw a record high number of callers and new challenges due to the coronavirus pandemic. However, the downward trend began prior to the pandemic. For example, the percentage of calls answered fell from 32% in 2018 to 21% in 2020. What’s more, many callers wait on hold for hours, only to ultimately see their calls dropped, an action the IRS calls a “Courtesy Disconnect.” Such a troubling approach to dealing with taxpayers is not in-line with the Taxpayer Bill of Rights, which makes clear that taxpayers have a right to quality service. Reasonable access to the IRS is essential to a fair and effective tax system. 

Media reports are drawing attention to a service known as EnQ, which launched in 2016. EnQ allows paid subscribers to jump to the front of the hold queue for the IRS phone lines. According to the company, this service reduces hold time for subscribers by up to   90%. Plans start at about $100 per month and run as much as $300 per month. Although helpful for those who subscribe, EnQ’s service creates a two-tiered system for taxpayers seeking to access assistance from the IRS.  It also may exacerbate the poor response rates at the IRS it purports to address.

It is curious that in the time period since EnQ’s robo-calls began flooding the IRS lines, the downward trend in calls answered at the IRS increased so dramatically. As such, we ask that you evaluate whether EnQ has negatively impacted the capacity of your phone systems. If it has, we ask that you consider all potentially applicable remedies, including 26 U.S. Code §?7212, which prohibits attempts to interfere with administration of internal revenue laws. Being able to call the IRS is a free, public service that should be available on an equal basis. Paying to receive preferential access to the IRS should not be permitted.

Finally, we ask that you take necessary action to dramatically improve the quality of service called for in the Taxpayer Bill of Rights. Hold times should be measured by minutes, not hours. The percentage of calls answered should be in the high double-digits, not the high single-digits. Improving service should be an utmost priority to the IRS.

Please keep us informed as you investigate this matter and consider your options. We standby ready to assist, if needed. Thank you and we look forward to your response.

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What They’re Saying: News Outlets Highlight Hickenlooper’s Role in Landmark Infrastructure Law

Source: United States Senator for Colorado John Hickenlooper

What They’re Saying: News Outlets Highlight Hickenlooper’s Role in Landmark Infrastructure Law

Colorado Politics: Hickenlooper “had a hand in several components of the final legislation”

Valley Courier: “Priorities important to Coloradans are reflected throughout the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act”

CBS Denver: Hickenlooper “helped negotiate the bill’s passage and says it will fund not only hundreds of road projects but a new runway at DIA and clean drinking water”

In case you missed it, news outlets across Colorado highlighted the role U.S. Senator John Hickenlooper played in getting the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill signed into law. Hickenlooper was part of a bipartisan group of 22 senators who negotiated and wrote the $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill. He attended the White House signing ceremony on Monday.

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill is the largest public investment in infrastructure in a century and the largest climate change bill ever. Also included is Hickenlooper’s RECHARGE Act, which makes it more affordable to drive an electric vehicle and is Hickenlooper’s first bill to become law, as well as provisions Hickenlooper wrote on marijuana, broadband, and RTD.

More than 1,000 people tuned into Hickenlooper’s virtual Town Hall Wednesday night to learn how the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill will be transformative for Colorado.

“Make no mistake: the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill is HUGE! Huge for the country, huge for Colorado, and huge for our democracy,” said Hickenlooper at the Town Hall. “We’re showing all the doubters that when it really matters, we can come together and put points on the board for American people.”

Watch the entire town hall HERE.

Take a look at coverage from across the state:

CBS 4 Denver: New Infrastructure Law Means Nearly $4 Billion For Colorado Roads

Colorado could receive money from the newly signed infrastructure law as early as next month. While some of the money will be distributed through competitive grant programs next year, the Colorado Department of Transportation will likely see money for road projects right away.

“You get a federal investment in infrastructure once in a generation, if you’re lucky,” said Hickenlooper.

He helped negotiate the bill’s passage and says it will fund not only hundreds of road projects but a new runway at DIA and clean drinking water,

“Denver still has too many homes that are getting their domestic water through lead pipes. We know that is not safe and yet Denver Water doesn’t have the resources to do it all at once. This is going to accelerate by 75%-80% how quickly we get those lines converted.”

The law could also speed the transition to electric vehicles. It includes a bill Hickenlooper wrote to make charging more affordable.

It also includes an amendment he introduced requiring the federal government to study the effects of marijuana on driving, “Hopefully we will get something similar to a breathalyzer that’s convenient, that can operate on the roadside and not be overly expensive.”

The law also includes money to upgrade the electricity grid for renewable energy, to clean up abandoned mines, and close the digital divide.

“We got almost everyone connected on broadband in Colorado but they don’t have high-speed internet up and down so they can’t really take advantage of what the internet can provide,” said Hickenlooper. “These are magnificent changes and I think it could very well be transformational.”

Colorado Public Radio: How Colorado’s Democrats have shaped the federal spending bills — and what it might mean for their futures

Meanwhile, Rep. Perlmutter pointed to freshman Sen. John Hickenlooper as playing “a big role in getting the terms of the infrastructure bill together.” Hickenlooper was a member of the bipartisan group of 22 senators who negotiated the infrastructure bill.

Hickenlooper said he had developed a rapport with Manchin, the conservative West Virginia Democrat who has heavily influenced the bills by threatening to withhold his vote.

“I have a good relationship with Joe Manchin and real respect. I mean, he’s representing … one of the most conservative states in America and in my experience, I think his values are deeply held. He’s very frugal. I’m pretty frugal myself, so we share some of those qualities,” Hickenlooper said.

“We disagree on certain issues, but he’s a listener. And so we’ll see where we get to.”

Meanwhile, Hickenlooper backed a law that asks states to voluntarily create more favorable electricity rates for electric-vehicle charging stations.

Durango Herald: Hickenlooper’s first bill becomes law: Making EV charging stations affordable

Just as Durango City Council begins to plan for and support the adoption of electric vehicles through its Electric Vehicle Readiness Plan, Sen. John Hickenlooper’s legislation to reduce the costs of driving an electric vehicle became a law.

The RECHARGE Act, Hickenlooper’s first major piece of legislation, requires states to find ways to make it more affordable to drive electric vehicles. Its main goal is to stabilize EV charging rates to promote “greater electrification of the transportation sector.”

“To fight climate change, we’ve got to transition to electric vehicles,” Hickenlooper said. “The RECHARGE Act makes it cheaper to drive an EV, and we’re overjoyed that it will be our first bill to become law!”

“It’ll have a tremendous impact for rural Colorado because our rates are all over the map. In my particular service area, I serve six small-member co-ops, and their rates and incentives are all over the place,” Dickson said. “These small co-ops are just learning how to adjust their rates to make them equitable for electric vehicles and their charging.”

“Hickenlooper’s component on the recharging issue will be beneficial to attract people in electric vehicles, especially those in rural areas where electrification has been slower,” Jackson said.

Denver7 News: Colorado set to receive billions from federal infrastructure package for roads, internet, more

The state is also projected to receive $35 million to protect against wildfires, $16 million to build up cyber security, $688 million to improve water infrastructure and $432 million for airports, among other things.

Hickenlooper’s RECHARGE Act made it into the final version of the bill and is focused on making electric vehicles more affordable.

“I think we’re going to look back 50 years from now and we’re going to say this is the beginning of the great transition,” he said.

It also accelerates the development of more EV charging stations across the country. Colorado is expected to see $57 million over five years in funding for that venture.

“Let’s say 20 years from now we’re going to be all electric vehicles. We have to make sure there’s charging stations and that the grid can handle it,” Hickenlooper said.

Colorado Politics: COVER STORY | Colorado’s Joe Neguse, John Hickenlooper play key roles bringing infrastructure bill to life

Soon after he was sworn into office in January, Hickenlooper, Colorado’s junior senator and a former two-term governor, was asked to join what eventually grew to a group of 22 senators — split evenly between Republicans and Democrats — who negotiated the bill before its passage this summer in the Senate.

Hickenlooper told Colorado Politics his role helping draft the bill began just days after he was elected last November, when Manchin invited him and incoming U.S. Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona over to talk infrastructure and the legislative process over pizza and beer.

Hickenlooper said he learned plenty about the process and didn’t want to overstate his role — noting that his colleagues have much more experience in legislative matters — but acknowledged that he had a hand in several components of the final legislation, including its incorporation of a bill he sponsored to encourage local electrical utilities to offer better prices to consumers when they charge their vehicles.

“We worked so much with broadband (in Colorado) that I was on that little group of people,” he said. “We really went into detail on some of these things. I was very involved with some of the issues around airports. It’s not just (Denver International Airport). We have airports all over the state that need runways or need basic infrastructure, and they’re going to get it.”

Hickenlooper, a former petroleum geologist, added that he’s particularly proud that the bill includes “real money” for capping inactive and abandoned oil and natural gas wells, both as a safety measure and to curb methane emissions, which he boasted builds on a program he pioneered when he was governor.

“It was our work in Colorado that alerted the world to it,” he said, noting that an agreement he brokered between the fossil fuel industry and environmentalists to reduce methane emissions has become the model for regulations adopted worldwide.

“Methane in the first couple of years is 80 to 90 times more polluting, more harmful to the climate, trapping more heat than CO2,” he said. “I was very proud that, as people tried to cut that out a couple of different times, and I was a loud voice — we expanded it to look at coal mines and abandoned mines that are both water pollution and air pollution.”

The Denver Post: Editorial: Biden’s infrastructure package offers a compelling future for America and Congress

Hickenlooper is, as always, optimistic, and his enthusiasm is compelling. The bipartisan bill could spur state and local investments with a transformational effect.

“Fifty years to 100 years from now we are going to call this the Great Transition,” Hickenlooper said. “Where we enter this space of really 8 to 10 years from now, suddenly everyone is going to be buying electric cars, and using electric buses and some may be having all of their electricity being generated by wind, solar, maybe nuclear.”

All of that, Hickenlooper said requires investment in infrastructure.

Alamosa Valley Courier: Bennet and Hickenlooper do Colorado proud in infrastructure bill

Thanks to multiple initiatives led by Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet and Colorado U.S. Senator John Hickenlooper’s role in writing the text of the bill, priorities important to Coloradans are reflected throughout the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA).

Senator Hickenlooper’s provision authorizes the Department of Transportation to return $28.9 million, plus interest, for a deposit that the Regional Transportation District made to secure a federal loan to redevelop Denver’s Union Station. Senator Bennet supported the provision.

Senator Hickenlooper’s RECHARGE Act will make driving an electric vehicle more affordable by having states review utility rates for EV charging.

Transportation safety is an ongoing issue and a provision, written by Hickenlooper, creates a national standard to prevent marijuana-impaired driving, requiring the federal government to recommend ways for researchers to access marijuana samples and study how marijuana impairs driving.

Fox 31 KDVR: Colorado Democrats at infrastructure bill-signing share insight on state plans

Colorado is set to see billions from the federal infrastructure plan, setting up the state for improvements to its roads, light rail and airports.

The trillion-dollar plan is set to allocate about $6 billion in different areas across the state. Colorado lawmakers say projects are expected to get underway starting in 2022.

State and local leaders say the money comes at pivotal time for the state.

“You’ll see the state moving forward rapidly in terms of infrastructure, and I hope that’s a reflection of the whole country moving forward rapidly,” U.S. Senator John Hickenlooper said.

Hickenlooper, Bennet Applaud President Biden’s Intent to Appoint Kent Peppler and Armando Valdez to Serve in Key USDA Roles in Colorado

Source: United States Senator for Colorado John Hickenlooper

Hickenlooper, Bennet Applaud President Biden’s Intent to Appoint Kent Peppler and Armando Valdez to Serve in Key USDA Roles in Colorado

Peppler and Valdez Both Have Decades of Experience in Colorado Agriculture 

Washington, D.C.— Today, U.S. Senators John Hickenlooper and Michael Bennet released the following statement after President Joe Biden announced his intent to appoint Kent Peppler to serve as Colorado State Executive Director of the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) and Armando Valdez to serve as Colorado State Director for USDA Rural Development: 

“Armando Valdez and Kent Peppler are Colorado farmers who know the ins and outs of our agriculture,” said Hickenlooper. “They’ll hit the ground running at USDA.”

“From food production to rural development, agriculture is central to Colorado’s economy,” said Bennet. “As Colorado producers, Kent and Armando have a deep understanding of the important role USDA plays in our state, especially our rural communities. With their personal experience operating farms and their background at USDA, Kent and Armando are exactly the leaders Colorado’s agriculture economy needs. As a member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry,  I look forward to working with them to support our farmers, ranchers, and rural communities in Colorado.”

Kent Peppler — a fourth-generation farmer at Peppler Farms in Weld County — has over 40 years of experience in agriculture. He has served as a member of the Colorado FSA State Committee, Acting State Executive Director for the USDA FSA in Colorado under the Clinton Administration, Assistant State Executive Director for the USDA FSA in Colorado, and most recently, as Rocky Mountain Farmers Union President. Today, he continues to operate Peppler Farms in Mead, Colorado.

Armando Valdez was born and raised in the San Luis Valley on a cattle, sheep, small grains, and hay operation. For five years under the Obama Administration, Valdez served as Executive Chair for the USDA FSA. In that position, he helped administer the Farm Bill, execute farm policy, and manage other federal programs to support farmers and ranchers. In 2007, he created Valdez Land & Livestock to continue his family’s farm operation. He operates it today along with his sister and their families. Valdez is also a business professor at Adams State University and serves on the Board of the Rio Grande Water Conservation District.  

Warner & Kaine Announce Federal Funding for Community Policing Efforts

Source: United States Senator for Commonwealth of Virginia Mark R Warner

WASHINGTON – U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) today announced $718,750 in federal funding from the Department of Justice through the Department’s Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office) COPS Hiring Program (CHP). Both Senators are long-time supporters of funding for the COPS program via the Appropriations process. These funds will allow Virginia law enforcement agencies to hire new or rehire career law enforcement officers to better serve communities, reduce crime, and advance public safety through community policing efforts.

“Community policing allows our police departments to build relationships with the communities they serve,” the Senators said.“These funds will help make our police departments more effective and more responsive while fostering a positive and strong relationship between officers and members of the community.”

The funding will be distributed as follows:

  • The City of Buena Vista will receive $93,750. 
  • The City of Manassas Park will receive $250,000.
  • The City of Radford will receive $375,000. 

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Statement of Senate Intel Chair Mark R. Warner on Federal Charges Against Two Iranians Accused of Interfering in 2020 Election

Source: United States Senator for Commonwealth of Virginia Mark R Warner

WASHINGTON – U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA), Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, issued the following statement after the U.S. Department of Justice announced charges Thursday against two Iranians and the U.S. Department of the Treasury announced sanctions against six Iranian individuals and one Iranian entity for attempting to influence the 2020 U.S. presidential election:

“Our intelligence officials have continually warned that other countries would seek to follow Russia’s 2016 playbook. Today’s charges and sanctions against several Iranians believed to be behind a cyber campaign to intimidate and influence American voters in the 2020 election are further evidence that attempts to interfere in our elections will continue, and we must all be on guard against them. I applaud intelligence officials and the Biden administration for taking these significant steps today to punish the actors behind Iran’s influence campaign and sending a clear message to our adversaries that interference in American elections will no longer be tolerated.” 

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Durbin Statement on House Passage of Build Back Better Act

Source: United States Senator for Illinois Dick Durbin

11.19.21

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today released the following statement after the House of Representatives passed the Build Back Better Act:

“In the wake of this pandemic, and in the face of a climate crisis, we must build an economy that puts the needs of people, and our planet, above all else. From helping working mothers feed their kids, to funding education and other innovations that will shape the world those kids grow up in, now is the time to Build Back Better. We also have a chance to give millions of immigrants a brighter future in the country they call home. I am glad the House took this important step today.”

The bill now heads to the Senate for consideration.

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Delegation Condemns Harmful Resource Provisions in Partisan Reconciliation Bill

Source: United States Senator for Alaska Lisa Murkowski

11.19.21

U.S. Senators Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan, Congressman Don Young (all R-Alaska) today sharply criticized the House of Representatives’ passage of a partisan reconciliation bill that would repeal the oil and gas program for the non-wilderness portion of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR). That provision is among several in the bill that would harm Alaska’s ability to responsibly produce energy and mineral resources needed by the rest of the country and the world.

“The House reconciliation bill is entirely partisan, and nowhere more so than in its resource provisions. Those policies—which are all but designed to eliminate energy and mineral production in federal areas—are a gift to OPEC, Russia, and China at the worst possible time. And none are more offensive than repeal of the oil and gas program in the non-wilderness 1002 Area of ANWR that we fought so hard to win in 2017,” Murkowski said. “In the midst of high energy prices and mounting inflation, responsible domestic production from Alaska, including the prospective 1002 Area is needed more than ever. Despite that, House Democrats and the Biden administration are trying to throw it all away through an illegal taking that would fundamentally alter how U.S. leases have been administered for decades. We will do everything we can to strike the ANWR provision – and others – from the reconciliation bill when it comes to the Senate, but if that proves impossible, AIDEA as a leaseholder should be ready to sue.”

“From day one of his administration, President Biden and congressional Democrats have engaged in an all-out war on Alaska’s economy and the domestic energy sector. This provision in the Democrats’ reckless tax-and-spending spree is simply the latest outrageous salvo in this war,” said Senator Sullivan. “The bottom line is this: In the middle of a nationwide energy price spike, President Biden is intent on giving pink slips to hard-working Americans and Alaskans and decimating the U.S. energy sector, while begging OPEC and Russia to produce more oil. Those are facts. As winter approaches, I expect millions of Americans will be watching many of these senators closely to see if they go along with the President’s radical, anti-energy agenda that is hurting hard-working Alaskan and American families.” 

“I am disappointed but not surprised that my Democratic colleagues have once again put a target on Alaska’s energy sector. Democrats insist that the bill they passed this morning will help us ‘Build Back Better,’ but with the anti-ANWR provisions included in the bill, all they will accomplish is a betrayal of our dedicated energy workers and their families, forcing them to ‘Build Back Broke.’ The anti-Alaska language included in this bill is an affront to our energy workforce, including a good deal of union members. If the concern is carbon emissions, what sense does it make to shut down responsible energy production in ANWR only to force a greater reliance on foreign oil from countries with far lower environmental standards? I will continue to oppose any attempts to repeal the ANWR leasing program, whether through this misguided reconciliation bill or any other legislative measure. This is not the time to roll back the progress we made on ANWR’s coastal plain. When it comes to responsible energy exploration in ANWR, the facts are clear: the Arctic Iñupiat community of Kaktovik supports it, the State of Alaska supports it, and the Alaska Delegation’s Members from both parties have always supported it,” said Congressman Young. “I was a strong NO vote on the reconciliation bill and will keep fighting against efforts from the Lower 48 to lock up our state.”

Background:

In 2017, the resource title of H.R. 1, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, authorized the surface development of up to 2,000 federal acres of the non-wilderness 1002 Area, equivalent to roughly one ten-thousandth of all of ANWR. ANWR itself spans 19.3 million acres, an area of land roughly equal in size to South Carolina, in northeast Alaska.

In 1980, Congress designated more than eight million acres within ANWR as federal wilderness as part of the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act. That same legislation set aside the 1.57-million-acre Coastal Plain for petroleum exploration and potential future development, which is supported by a majority of Alaskans. The U.S. Geological Survey estimates the 1002 Area contains 10.4 billion barrels of technically recoverable oil that could be sent to states like California, which has grown significantly more dependent on foreign oil as Alaska production has declined.

From 2017 through 2020, the Trump administration conducted extensive consultation, analysis, and review to develop an environmentally protective development program for the 1002 Area in accordance with the law. The Record of Decision included significant no surface occupancy and operational timing limitations for hundreds of thousands of acres in the 1002 Area, along with nine additional lease stipulations and 44 required operating procedures. The first lease sale was held in January 2021, resulting in 13 bids and nine leases being awarded to the Alaska Industrial Development and Export Authority (AIDEA).

In addition to the provision to repeal the 1002 Area program and cancel all leases awarded under it, House Democrats’ partisan reconciliation bill would raise federal oil and gas royalties; hike minimum bid and annual rental rates; increase bonding requirements; reduce the length of lease terms; impose a range of new or higher fees and fines; eliminate royalty relief; and place most of the Outer Continental Shelf under a permanent leasing moratorium. The measure would also rewrite standards for federal land use and management; provide funding for new mining regulations; and grant the Bureau of Land Management unilateral authority to withdraw any of its lands from entry, appropriation, disposal, location, and patent. 

NEWS: Sanders Statement on House Passage of Build Back Better Act

Source: United States Senator for Vermont – Bernie Sanders

WASHINGTON, Nov. 19 – Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), chairman of the Senate Budget Committee, Friday issued the following statement after the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Build Back Better Act:

“I applaud Democrats in the House of Representatives for uniting to pass the Build Back Better Act. Now the legislation comes to the Senate where I hope to see it strengthened in a number of ways.

“The American people overwhelmingly demand that we ask the wealthy and large corporations to pay their fair share of taxes. That’s what we must do. The American people overwhelmingly demand that we take on the greed of the pharmaceutical industry and lower the cost of prescription drugs. That’s what we must do. The American people overwhelmingly demand that we expand Medicare to cover dental, eyeglasses and hearing aids. That’s what we must do. The American people understand that we must act now to combat the existential threat of climate change and transform our energy system away from fossil fuels. That’s what we must do.

“The Senate has an opportunity to make this a truly historic piece of legislation. We will listen to the demands of the American people and strengthen the Build Back Better Act.”