Alaska Rep. Mary Peltola refused to commit to the Alaska’s Right to Produce Act, a bill that stops the Biden Administration from locking up Alaska’s congressionally designated oil and gas leasing areas. It’s a bill that Peltola had actually cosponsored but then backed away from.
The Alaska’s Right to Produce Act reinstates the previously awarded, then Biden-canceled oil leases in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Biden ignored statutory requirements and destroyed future revenues for Alaskan Native North Slope communities.
Energy production in Alaska generated $3.1 billion in state and local revenue in 2019 and supported over 77,000 direct and indirect jobs.
Most recently, the Biden Administration locked down 13 million more acres of the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska, which was set aside by Congress for oil and gas.
The resolution to reverse the Biden Administration lockup of Alaska passed the House without Peltola’s support, on a vote of 214-199. One Republican voted against it, five Democrats voted for it, but Peltola voted “present.”
Although she says she is in favor of Alaska’s economy, Peltola also endorses President Biden for his reelection, and has voted with him over 90% of the time. Since taking office three years ago, Biden has imposed over 63 executive orders and actions against Alaska, including shutting down ANWR and the NPR-A.
In December, Peltola voted with Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez for a San Francisco Bay Area liberal Democrat’s amendment letting Biden Interior Secretary Deb Haaland delay ANWR projects indefinitely.
“Today Democrat Mary Peltola doubled down on supporting Joe Biden over Alaska. Biden’s liberal war on Alaska is Peltola’s biggest political liability and Alaskans won’t forget today,” commented National Republican Congressional Committee spokesperson Ben Petersen.
Congressional candidate Nick Begich said, “Peltola may have voted present in the House today but she’s been absent on Alaska energy, jobs, and our very future. It takes courage to be the only voice for Alaska in the United States House. That means voting ‘yes’ when it’s in the interests of our people. Once again, Peltola failed us.”
