Central Montana Times

U.S. Senator Steve Daines, Montana Governor Greg Gianforte, Congressman Ryan Zinke and Congressman Matt Rosendale have voiced their disapproval following the Biden administration's release of a new Resource Management Plan Amendment. This amendment prohibits future coal leases in eastern Montana through 2038.

"Since Day One the Joe Biden administration has been on an anti-energy war path in an attempt to appease far-Left environmental groups,” said Daines. “Shutting down future coal production in eastern Montana will jeopardize our energy independence, raise costs for families and kill good-paying jobs.”

Gianforte echoed this sentiment, stating, “Every action taken by the Biden administration is driving up the cost of affordable energy and threatening the reliability of our electrical grid. Affordable power generated by coal keeps the lights on in Montana and fuels manufacturing across the country and world. Today’s announcement is nothing more than a gift to China and our adversaries and a slap in face to hardworking Montanans. Instead of prioritizing the ideological agenda of the far left, President Biden should prioritize the needs of American consumers and workers."

Zinke added that this move represents "another punitive targeted attack on Montana," resulting in "higher energy prices and lower energy security for Montanans." He emphasized that "the United States has more coal than any other nation on Earth" and argued that "our goal should be expanding energy production in America, where we do it the cleanest, safest and cheapest rather than bending the knee to environmental extremists."

Rosendale concluded by saying that "America lost more energy independence today due to a stroke of a pen by the Biden administration." He described this decision as an insult to Montanans who depend on coal for their livelihoods, criticizing its intention to appease climate extremists.