Democrats Oppose Bill Promoting Indian Tribe Energy Production

House Democrats are expected to oppose legislation this week that would remove regulatory burdens for energy production on Native American land that tribes say have cost them tens of millions of dollars.

The Native American Energy Act would vest more regulatory authority over tribal energy production with the tribes themselves, rather federal regulators that have recently sought more stringent regulations on oil and gas production on federal land.

The bill passed out of the House Natural Resources Committee last month with just a single Democratic vote. Among its provisions is language that would exempt tribal land from new Interior Department regulations on hydraulic fracturing, an innovative oil and gas extraction technique commonly known as fracking.

Interior opposes the bill in part due to that language. That opposition and committee Democrats’ near-unanimous vote against it suggest that the bill will continue to face Democratic opposition when it comes to the House floor on Thursday.

Native American tribes have vocally supported the legislation, authored by Rep. Don Young (R., Alaska), which would streamline the permitting process for energy extraction projects on tribal land.

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