"Democratic Senator Urges Biden Administration to Conduct Oil Lease Sale Amidst Court Ruling Chaos"

Senator Joe Manchin, chair of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, criticized the Biden administration for delaying a major offshore oil and gas lease sale and called for it to proceed within two weeks. A federal appeals court recently stayed a lower court ruling that struck down the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management's restrictions on the lease sale. Manchin argued that the administration's actions have created a "complete mess" and could jeopardize energy security and climate goals. The lease sale, originally scheduled for September, was delayed due to ongoing litigation. The senator emphasized that the Inflation Reduction Act mandates the sale to proceed by September 30 and warned that further delays could impact offshore wind leases as well.