Sen. Mike Lee of Utah will be the incoming chairman of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources when the Senate returns in January. He takes over from former Democrat Sen. Joe Manchin of Virginia, who is retiring from the Senate.
Lee is an energy advocate. On his “@BasedMikeLee” account on X, he wrote, “I support clean energy. That’s why I support coal and natural gas.”
The committee oversees legislation relating to public lands, water, issues that matter to Native Americans, and energy resources.
The senator said he was “humbled and honored” to have been selected by his Republican colleagues. “Time to get to work and unleash American energy,” he wrote on X.
During this year’s election campaign season, he endorsed Congressman-elect Nick Begich for Alaska’s at-large seat. His leadership in energy legislation has been legendary in the Senate. His Stop the Grinch Act during the Covid pandemic would have helped Alaskans by temporarily suspending the Jones Act, which drives up shipping costs.
Last week, he introduced “Undoing NEPA’s Substantial Harm by Advancing Concepts that Kickstart the Liberation of the Economy,” (UNSHACKLE Act). The bill would streamline and reform the National Environmental Policy Act, or NEPA, by scaling back onerous environmental reviews for federally funded projects.
Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski serves on the committee and has seniority over Lee, she was not offered the position of chair because of Senate rules; she has already served as chair and is term-limited. She may be hoping for a seat on Appropriations.
