Senate Moves to Open Up More Alaska Lands to Oil and Gas Leasing

Millions more acres of land would be available for oil and gas leasing in Alaska’s North Slope under a Republican measure the Senate passed Thursday.

The disapproval resolution (S.J. Res. 80), carried on a 52-45 vote, would overturn a 2022 Biden decision that closed off 13.3 million acres of the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska to fossil fuel development to protect bird and caribou populations.

The House still needs to vote on a companion measure (H.J.Res. 124), sponsored by Rep. Nick Begich (R-Alaska).

The Biden “record of decision” replaced a 2020 “record of decision” from the ...