House GOP tees up fast-track votes to unwind BLM’s Arctic and coal decisions, expand LNG exports, and rewrite D.C. crime policy
On November 17, 2025, the House Rules Committee is meeting to send a sweeping energy-and-governance package to the floor: three Congressional Review Act resolutions to nullify Interior Department land-use decisions in Alaska and Wyoming, an LNG export bill that would sideline the Energy Department from approving shipments, a refinery-study mandate, and two measures to impose cash bail and roll back policing reforms in the District of Columbia. Together, the lineup previews a rapid policy pivot on public lands, fossil fuels, and home rule in the nation’s capital. [1]
- CRA disapproval of BLM records of decision: NPR–Alaska IAP (S.J.Res. 80), Buffalo Field Office RMP amendment (H.J.Res. 130), and ANWR Coastal Plain leasing ROD (H.J.Res. 131). [2]
- Energy bills: H.R. 1949 (Unlocking our Domestic LNG Potential Act) and H.R. 3109 (REFINER Act). [3]
- D.C. crime measures: H.R. 5214 (District of Columbia Cash Bail Reform Act) and H.R. 5107 (CLEAN DC Act). [4]
What the House is moving toward — and why it matters
Congressional Review Act: using GAO rulings to target land-use “rules”
Each of the three disapproval resolutions rests on a threshold determination by the Government Accountability Office that the relevant BLM records of decision (RODs) are “rules” under the Administrative Procedure Act and therefore subject to the Congressional Review Act’s expedited procedures. GAO reached that conclusion for: (1) the 2022 NPR-A Integrated Activity Plan ROD; (2) the 2024 ANWR Coastal Plain leasing-program ROD; and (3) the 2024 Buffalo Field Office RMP amendment restricting new federal coal leasing. [5]
If Congress enacts a CRA disapproval, the rule “may not be reissued in substantially the same form” unless later authorized by statute, a prohibition that can constrain future administrations. [6]
The Senate passed S.J.Res. 80 on October 30, 2025; the House is now considering that engrossed measure. [7]
The Alaska pieces: NPR-A and the ANWR Coastal Plain
S.J.Res. 80 targets the 2022 NPR-A plan that replaced a 2020 framework. According to debate materials entered into the Congressional Record, the 2020 plan made 18.6 million acres — roughly 82% of the reserve’s subsurface estate — available for leasing while establishing protections for subsistence and wildlife in key areas; the 2022 decision rolled back that approach. [8]
H.J.Res. 131 addresses BLM’s December 2024 ANWR Coastal Plain ROD, which set the framework for leasing in the 1.56‑million‑acre program area mandated by the 2017 tax law; GAO concluded the 2024 ROD is a CRA‑covered rule. [9]
The policy stakes are immediate. Interior has moved to reverse or withdraw Biden-era protections across Alaska’s North Slope, including rescinding NPR-A “special area” policy documents and announcing plans to repeal a 2024 rule that codified protections across 13.3 million NPR-A acres — moves celebrated by Alaska’s delegation and industry groups but condemned by environmental organizations. [10]
“The U.S. Senate … passed [our] joint resolution … to overturn the Biden administration’s restrictive 2022 [NPR-A] plan.” — Sen. Dan Sullivan, Oct. 30, 2025, underscoring GAO’s conclusion that the 2022 decision is a rule subject to the CRA. [11]
Wyoming’s Buffalo Field Office: coal leasing limits under scrutiny
H.J.Res. 130 targets BLM’s November 2024 Buffalo Field Office RMP amendment in the Powder River Basin. GAO found the amendment — which closed substantial coal acreage to future leasing and effectively removed an estimated 48.12 billion short tons from consideration — to be a rule subject to CRA submission. [12]
The Buffalo decision flowed from court-ordered supplemental analysis of climate and downstream combustion impacts and followed draft proposals to end new federal coal leasing in the Basin; a final ROD set about 495,000 acres available and left existing leases intact. [13]
Energy agenda beyond CRA: LNG exports and a refinery report
H.R. 1949 — Unlocking our Domestic LNG Potential Act
The LNG bill would amend Section 3 of the Natural Gas Act to remove the Department of Energy’s case-by-case export authorizations to non‑FTA countries and deem LNG exports consistent with the public interest, while consolidating siting and project approvals at FERC. The bill retains presidential national security authorities (e.g., IEEPA) to restrict trade. [14]
Committee materials show the bill was reported 26–23 after hearings and markups; today’s Rules panel is preparing it for floor consideration with an accompanying report. [15]
H.R. 3109 — REFINER Act
REFINER directs the Energy Secretary to task the National Petroleum Council with a report on U.S. petrochemical refineries’ contributions to energy security, reliability and affordability — a signal toward longer‑term downstream policy changes. [16]
Congress vs. D.C. home rule: Cash bail and policing rollbacks
H.R. 5214 would mandate pretrial detention for “crimes of violence” or “dangerous crimes” in D.C. and require secured cash bail for specified “public safety or order” offenses. The majority report notes broad local opposition from Mayor Muriel Bowser, the D.C. Council, and the Attorney General. The Rules Committee has scheduled the bill for action today; H.R. 5107 would repeal most of D.C.’s 2022 policing reforms. [17]
The White House has separately pursued an executive‑branch approach to end “cashless bail” in D.C., directing DOJ and federal law‑enforcement to maximize federal custody and charging where possible. [18]
CRA mechanics ⚖️
Disapproval nullifies a rule and bars a “substantially the same” replacement absent future legislation — a durable constraint that can shape public‑lands policy for years. [19]
NPR‑A scope 🌍
2020 plan: 18.6M acres (≈82%) available for leasing; 2022 decision reversed course; Trump DOI is now rescinding protective policies and preparing rule repeals. [20]
Powder River Basin 🏭
Buffalo RMPA limited future coal leasing after court‑ordered climate analysis; GAO says the ROD is a CRA‑covered rule. [21]
LNG bill 🛢️
Deems exports “in the public interest,” shifts approval locus to FERC, leaves national‑security trade tools intact. [22]
How the pieces connect: energy dominance, legal durability, and 2026 election stakes
Supporters frame the package as delivering on “energy dominance” and local economic priorities in Alaska and Wyoming, pointing to North Slope Iñupiat institutions and business groups that favor development. Opponents say it undermines subsistence rights and climate safeguards codified in 2024, and erodes D.C.’s home rule by overriding locally elected officials. [23]
The CRA route also matters procedurally: because GAO has labeled these RODs “rules,” a House majority can send them to the President with limited Senate debate — and, once signed, the “substantially the same” bar can box in future Interior secretaries seeking to restore similar protections. [24]
| Policy area | Prior action | What the House is moving | Potential effect if enacted |
|---|---|---|---|
| NPR‑A management | 2022 IAP ROD reverted to earlier protections; 2024 rule codified 13.3M protected acres. [25] | S.J.Res. 80 disapproves the 2022 ROD under CRA. [26] | Nullifies the 2022 ROD; makes a similar plan hard to reissue without new law. [27] |
| ANWR Coastal Plain | BLM issued 2024 leasing-program ROD under the 2017 mandate. [28] | H.J.Res. 131 disapproves that ROD. [29] | Resets program parameters; constrains similar future frameworks. [30] |
| Powder River Basin coal | Buffalo RMPA curtailed future federal coal leasing after court‑ordered review. [31] | H.J.Res. 130 disapproves the ROD. [32] | Reopens path to consider new leasing in acreage previously closed. [33] |
| LNG exports | DOE public‑interest determinations for non‑FTA export authorizations. | H.R. 1949 deems exports in the public interest; centralizes at FERC. [34] | Faster approvals; fewer DOE‑led constraints; national‑security carve‑outs remain. [35] |
| D.C. pretrial policy | No cash bail; 2022 policing reforms in place. [36] | H.R. 5214 imposes detention and secured bail; H.R. 5107 repeals reforms. [37] | Stronger detention regime; significant federal override of local policy. [38] |
Key quotes and perspectives
Alaska delegation (pro-development)
Sen. Sullivan hailed Senate passage of S.J.Res. 80, arguing the 2022 NPR‑A plan “locked up” the reserve contrary to congressional direction. [39]
Interior (current policy)
Interior in July rescinded NPR‑A special‑area restrictions to “advance energy development,” citing executive orders to “Unleash Alaska’s Extraordinary Resource Potential.” [40]
Environmental advocates (opposed)
Conservation groups warn that rolling back NPR‑A and ANWR protections threatens globally significant habitat and Indigenous subsistence. [41]
D.C. leaders (opposed)
Mayor Bowser, the D.C. Council, and the Attorney General formally opposed H.R. 5214 in committee filings. [42]
What to watch next
Floor timing
Rules clearance today positions the CRA resolutions and energy/D.C. bills for House votes as early as this week. [43]
CRA durability
If signed, CRA disapprovals create a long‑term barrier to reissuing similar land‑use rules — a potent tool heading into 2026. [44]
Litigation risk
Expect lawsuits over NEPA compliance and program‑level decisions in Alaska and Wyoming regardless of legislative outcomes. Background court orders already shape the Buffalo RMPA. [45]
Market impacts
LNG reforms could accelerate export capacity decisions; refinery review may tee up additional downstream legislation in 2026. [46]
Bottom line
Today’s Rules Committee agenda crystallizes the majority’s strategy: use the Congressional Review Act to lock in reversals of Biden‑era land decisions, streamline LNG exports, and assert federal authority over D.C. criminal justice. Supporters see energy security and order; opponents see a rollback of climate, subsistence, and home‑rule protections. How the House votes this week will shape not just immediate policy but the legal playing field for the next administration — by design. 🗳️
References
- House Rules Committee meeting announcement and bill pages (Nov. 17, 2025). [47]
- GAO CRA determinations: NPR‑A (B‑337234), ANWR Coastal Plain (B‑337330), Buffalo RMPA (B‑337503). [48]
- Congressional Record and Congress.gov entries for S.J.Res. 80 and House companion measures. [49]
- BLM and Interior press materials and archived ROD notices (Alaska, Wyoming). [50]
- H.R. 1949 text and committee report; H.R. 3109 text. [51]
- H.R. 5214 text and committee report; White House D.C. cash‑bail executive order. [52]
- Associated Press coverage of NPR‑A rule repeal and stakeholder reactions. [53]
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