La. federal judge halts Biden’s pause on oil & gas leasing

Judge Terry Doughty of the U.S. District Court in Monroe has suspended the Biden administration’s pause on oil and gas leasing. The case was heard in Lafayette last week.
Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry requested the preliminary injunction in March. He, along with U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy, M.D., (R-LA) and U.S. Rep. Clay Higgins (R-LA), all issued news releases commenting on Doughty’s ruling.
“This is a victory not only for the rule of law, but also for the thousands of workers who produce affordable energy for Americans,” Landry said. He led the 13-state lawsuit against Biden’s Executive Order 14008 which declared a moratorium on future oil and gas leasing and drilling permits on federal lands.
“While our fight is far from over, I am pleased the court granted preliminary relief against the president’s unconscionable attack on American energy,” he said.
Cassidy said, “This is fantastic news for workers in Louisiana whose livelihoods are being threatened by the administration’s thoughtless energy policy.
He went on to say that “We need a long-term, all-of-the-above strategy that does not pick winners and losers. The Department of the Interior should immediately begin moving forward with another offshore lease sale.”
In January, Cassidy, along with a quarter of his Senate colleagues, introduced the Protecting our Wealth of Energy Resources (POWER) Act of 2021, which would prohibit the president or his secretaries of the Interior, Agriculture, and Energy departments from blocking energy or mineral leasing and permitting on federal lands and waters without Congressional approval, Cassidy’s news release stated.
“Jeff Landry has delivered a win for the entire country,” said Higgins. “He’s a man we can count on to get the job done. I’m honored to stand shoulder to shoulder with him, fighting for Louisiana.”
The judge ordered that plans be resumed for lease sales that were delayed in the Gulf of Mexico and Alaska.
Doughty’s ruling came in a lawsuit filed in March by officials from 13 states, which included Louisiana.
Doughty’s ruling provides a preliminary injunction to those states since his order applies nationwide.