H.R. 859

Protecting American Energy Jobs Act

This bill limits the President's authority to prohibit or withdraw federal land or waters from energy production activities.

Specifically, the bill requires the President and federal agencies to obtain the approval of Congress before prohibiting or substantially delaying certain new energy or mineral leases or permits on federal lands, including oil and gas leases, coal leases, hard rock leases, or critical minerals leases.

In addition, the President and agencies must obtain the approval of Congress before withdrawing certain federal lands from mineral and geothermal leasing activities. Further, the bill repeals the President's authority to withdraw unleased lands on the outer Continental Shelf from oil and gas leasing.

The bill nullifies

• Executive Order 13990 titled Protecting Public Health and the Environment and Restoring Science To Tackle the Climate Crisis;
• Executive Order 14008 titled Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad; and
• the Department of the Interior's Secretarial Order 3395 concerning a temporary suspension of delegated authority to all of Interior's Bureaus and Offices, including the authority to approve leases.