00                       HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 2                                                                     
01 Urging the United States Congress and the Trump administration to reverse the                                           
02 outgoing presidential administration's administrative decision to ban offshore oil and                                  
03 gas leasing and to safeguard the state and national economy, energy security, and                                       
04 interests.                                                                                                              
05 BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA:                                                               
06       WHEREAS the state has a long history of safe and responsible resource development,                              
07 including offshore oil and gas activities, which have sustained the state's economy, created                            
08 jobs, and provided affordable energy for residents; and                                                                 
09       WHEREAS the outgoing presidential administration used the Outer Continental Shelf                               
10 Lands Act of 1953 to administratively withdraw approximately 625,000,000 acres of the                                   
11 federal Outer Continental Shelf from potential oil and gas development, including the entire                            
12 east and west coasts of the United States, the Eastern Gulf of Mexico, and tens of millions of                          
13 acres offshore of the state; and                                                                                        
14       WHEREAS the state has continually faced federal restrictions on offshore resource                               
15 development, with more and more of its outer continental shelf withdrawn from leasing, while                            

01 the federal government has failed to promote development in critical areas like Cook Inlet,                             
02 where resource development is necessary to prevent energy shortages; and                                                
03 WHEREAS the Southcentral region of the state is on the verge of energy shortages                                      
04 because of insufficient natural gas production in Cook Inlet, forcing the state to consider                             
05 costly liquefied natural gas imports that would burden state residents and businesses; and                              
06 WHEREAS the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act of 1953 grants the President                                            
07 authority to withdraw unleased land from mineral leasing under Section 12(a), but using that                            
08 authority to withdraw leases adjacent to the state prevents future administrations and                                  
09 Congress from exercising flexibility to make informed decisions about the energy portfolio of                           
10 the nation; and                                                                                                         
11 WHEREAS responsible offshore oil and gas development is essential for maintaining                                     
12 the state's economy, sustaining family-supporting jobs, ensuring affordable energy for                                  
13 residents, and supporting national energy independence and security; and                                                
14 WHEREAS the outgoing Biden administration has prioritized restrictions over                                           
15 collaboration, resulting in an unbalanced energy policy that fails to address the immediate and                         
16 long-term needs of the state and the nation;                                                                            
17 BE IT RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature strongly opposes the outgoing                                        
18 Biden administration's action withdrawing 625,000,000 acres of federal Outer Continental                                
19 Shelf land from potential oil and gas development; and be it                                                            
20 FURTHER RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature urges the incoming Trump                                           
21 administration and the United States Congress to take immediate action to reverse this                                  
22 decision and prioritize energy production in areas such as Cook Inlet and restore balance to                            
23 the nation's energy policies; and be it                                                                                 
24 FURTHER RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature respectfully requests                                              
25 Congress and federal policymakers to recognize the importance of the state's energy resources                           
26 in ensuring affordable energy, creating jobs, and supporting national security while balancing                          
27 environmental considerations.                                                                                           
28 COPIES of this resolution shall be sent to: The Honorable Donald J. Trump,                                            
29 President of the United States; The Honorable J. D. Vance, Vice President of the United                                 
30 States and President of the U.S. Senate; The Honorable John Thune, Majority Leader of the                               
31 U.S. Senate; The Honorable Mike Johnson, Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives; the                              

01 Honorable Lisa Murkowski and the Honorable Dan Sullivan, U.S. Senators, and the                                         
02 Honorable Nick Begich, U.S. Representative, members of the Alaska delegation in Congress.