License to Drill Act

Floor Speech

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Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 7831) to amend the Mineral Leasing Act to extend the period of time during which the Secretary of the Interior is required to collect a fee for each new application for a permit to drill, and for other purposes.

The Clerk read the title of the bill.

The text of the bill is as follows: H.R. 7831

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ``License to Drill Act''. SEC. 2. BLM OIL AND GAS PERMIT PROCESSING FEE.

Section 35(d) of the Mineral Leasing Act (30 U.S.C. 191(d)) is amended--

(1) in paragraph (1), by striking ``2026'' and inserting ``2037'';

(2) in paragraph (3)--

(A) by striking ``Of the fees collected under this subsection for a fiscal year, the'' and inserting ``The''; and

(B) by striking ``transfer--'' and all that follows through ``the Fund'' and inserting ``transfer, for each of fiscal years 2027 through 2037, all of the fees collected under this subsection for each such fiscal year to the BLM Permit Processing Improvement Fund''; and

(3) in paragraph (4), by striking ``2026'' and inserting ``2037''.

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Mr. WESTERMAN. 7831, the bill now under consideration.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 7831, the License to Drill Act, sponsored by Representative Kennedy of Utah.

Since its creation under the Energy Policy Act of 2005, the Permit Processing Improvement Fund, or PPIF, has been a critical tool for the Bureau of Land Management. Congress created this program to provide BLM with the resources necessary to process Applications for Permits to Drill, or APDs, in a timely manner. To support that effort, Congress authorized an APD application fee to help fund the PPIF and reduce permitting delays.

Over the years, BLM has relied on the PPIF to ensure APDs are processed consistently and efficiently. While past administrations have not always maintained a satisfactory APD approval record, the PPIF has served as a reliable backstop, helping maintain continuity and staffing at BLM field offices.

Under President Trump, Secretary Burgum's Department of the Interior has approved 63.7 percent more Federal and Indian drilling permits than the previous administration had approved during an equivalent period of time in office. In fact, President Trump's BLM has approved 6,027 new oil and gas permits and more APDs than any other year over the past 15 years.

Just last month, the Department of the Interior generated over $4 billion in total receipts from a BLM oil and gas lease sale in New Mexico and Texas under the Working Families Tax Cut Act. That is four times the previous record. This commendable performance demonstrates strong demand for domestic energy production on Federal lands, the Trump administration's success in unleashing American energy, and House Republicans' commitment to responsible management of our natural resources and lowering American energy prices.

H.R. 7831 reauthorizes the APD fee program. The fees, which are paid when submitting an application to drill, are deposited into the PPIF and used by the BLM to support application review and permitting activities. Since the implementation of these fees, operators and industry stakeholders have observed more reliable and timely permit approvals, prompting their strong support for the fees as good policy.

H.R. 7831 takes an important step toward maintaining a predictable, efficient, and durable permitting framework for oil and natural gas development on Federal lands. Reauthorizing fees for oil and gas drilling permits will help ensure that BLM has the resources necessary to process the permits needed to unleash American energy.

I urge all my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 7831, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I, again, urge my colleagues to support the License to Drill Act.

America has some of the richest energy resources in the world, and House Republicans are working alongside the Trump administration to put those resources to work.

I, again, thank Representative Kennedy for his diligent work on this issue, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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