Senate joint resolution would void BLM's 2024 Arctic drilling ban

What does this do?

SJRES 91 uses the Congressional Review Act to cancel a December 2024 Bureau of Land Management decision that stopped an oil and gas leasing program on the Coastal Plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska. If passed by both chambers and signed by the President, the BLM decision would be legally void. This would reopen the pathway for energy companies to apply for drilling leases on the Coastal Plain, though it would not automatically start any drilling.

Who does it affect?

Alaska residents, Alaska Native communities in and around the Arctic region, and energy companies interested in drilling on the Coastal Plain are most directly affected. Federal land managers and anyone with an interest in energy production, public land use, or wildlife conservation in the Arctic are also affected.

Why does it matter?

Canceling the BLM decision removes the specific federal action that was blocking the leasing program, returning the legal situation to one where lease applications could proceed. The Coastal Plain is considered both a potential energy resource and a sensitive wildlife habitat, so the outcome carries consequences for both energy development and conservation.

Where does it stand?