I 

117TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 6858 

To strengthen United States energy security, encourage domestic production 

of crude oil, petroleum products, and natural gas, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

FEBRUARY 28, 2022 

Mrs. RODGERS of Washington (for herself, Mr. WESTERMAN, Mr. MCCARTHY, 

Mr. SCALISE, Mr. UPTON, Mr. BURGESS, Mr. LATTA, Mr. GUTHRIE, Mr. 

MCKINLEY, Mr. GRIFFITH, Mr. BILIRAKIS, Mr. JOHNSON of Ohio, Mr. 

LONG, Mr. BUCSHON, Mr. MULLIN, Mr. HUDSON, Mr. WALBERG, Mr. 

CARTER of Georgia, Mr. DUNCAN, Mr. PALMER, Mr. DUNN, Mr. CURTIS, 

Mrs. LESKO, Mr. PENCE, Mr. CRENSHAW, Mr. JOYCE of Pennsylvania, 

Mr. ARMSTRONG, Mr. BENTZ, Mrs. BOEBERT, Mr. CARL, Mr. FULCHER, 

Mr. GOSAR, Ms. HERRELL, Mr. HICE of Georgia, Mr. LAMBORN, Mr. 

MCCLINTOCK, Mr. MOORE of Utah, Mr. OBERNOLTE, Mrs. RADEWAGEN, 

Mr. ROSENDALE, Mr. STAUBER, Mr. TIFFANY, Mr. WEBSTER of Florida, 

and Mr. WITTMAN) introduced the following bill; which was referred to 

the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committees on Transportation and Infrastructure, Natural Resources, and Agriculture, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in 

each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 

A BILL 

To strengthen United States energy security, encourage domestic production of crude oil, petroleum products, and 

natural gas, and for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 


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1 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

2 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘American Energy Inde3 pendence from Russia Act’’. 

4 SEC. 2. ENERGY SECURITY PLAN. 

5 The Natural Gas Act is amended by inserting after 

6 section 3A (15 U.S.C. 717b–1) the following: 

7 ‘‘ENERGY SECURITY PLAN

8 ‘‘SEC. 3B. Not later than 30 days after the date of 

9 enactment of this section, and biennially thereafter, the 

10 President shall transmit to Congress an energy security 

11 plan which shall include— 

12 ‘‘(1) an evaluation of United States crude oil, 

13 petroleum product, and natural gas imports and ex14 ports; 

15 ‘‘(2) an energy security risk assessment, by 

16 country of origin, of importing crude oil, petroleum 

17 products, and natural gas to the United States; and 

18 ‘‘(3) strategies, including changes to Federal 

19 policies and regulations, to encourage increased do20 mestic production of crude oil, petroleum products, 

21 and natural gas in order to offset any amounts of 

22 crude oil, petroleum products, and natural gas im23 ported to the United States from Russia.’’. 

24 SEC. 3. KEYSTONE XL AUTHORIZATION. 

25 (a) AUTHORIZATION.—TransCanada Keystone Pipe26 line, L.P., may construct, connect, operate, and maintain 


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1 the pipeline facilities at the international border of the 

2 United States and Canada at Phillips County, Montana, 

3 for the import of oil from Canada to the United States 

4 described in the Presidential Permit of March 29, 2019 

5 (84 Fed. Reg. 13101). 

6 (b) NO PRESIDENTIAL PERMIT REQUIRED.—No 

7 Presidential permit (or similar permit) under Executive 

8 Order 13867 (3 U.S.C. 301 note; relating to the issuance 

9 of permits with respect to facilities and land transpor10 tation crossings at the international boundaries of the 

11 United States), Executive Order 12038 (42 U.S.C. 7151 

12 note; relating to the transfer of certain functions to the 

13 Secretary of Energy), Executive Order 10485 (15 U.S.C. 

14 717b note; relating to the performance of functions re15 specting electric power and natural gas facilities located 

16 on United States borders), or any other Executive order 

17 shall be required for the construction, connection, oper18 ation, or maintenance of the pipeline facilities described 

19 in subsection (a). 

20 SEC. 4. ADVANCING UNITED STATES GLOBAL LEADERSHIP. 

21 Section 3 of the Natural Gas Act (15 U.S.C. 717b) 

22 is amended— 

23 (1) by striking subsections (a) through (c); 

24 (2) by redesignating subsections (e) and (f) as 

25 subsections (a) and (b), respectively; 


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1 (3) by redesignating subsection (d) as sub2 section (c), and moving such subsection after sub3 section (b), as so redesignated; 

4 (4) in subsection (a), as so redesignated, by 

5 amending paragraph (1) to read as follows: ‘‘(1) The 

6 Commission shall have the exclusive authority to ap7 prove or deny an application for the siting, construc8 tion, expansion, or operation of a facility to export 

9 natural gas from the United States to a foreign 

10 country or import natural gas from a foreign coun11 try, including an LNG terminal. Except as specifi12 cally provided in this Act, nothing in this Act is in13 tended to affect otherwise applicable law related to 

14 any Federal agency’s authorities or responsibilities 

15 related to facilities to import or export natural gas, 

16 including LNG terminals.’’; and 

17 (5) by adding at the end the following new sub18 section: 

19 ‘‘(d)(1) Nothing in this Act limits the authority of 

20 the President under the Constitution, the International 

21 Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701 et 

22 seq.), the National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. 1601 et 

23 seq.), part B of title II of the Energy Policy and Conserva24 tion Act (42 U.S.C. 6271 et seq.), the Trading With the 

25 Enemy Act (50 U.S.C. 4301 et seq.), or any other proviVerDate Sep 11 2014 18:48 Mar 03, 2022 Jkt 029200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H6858.IH H6858

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1 sion of law that imposes sanctions on a foreign person or 

2 foreign government (including any provision of law that 

3 prohibits or restricts United States persons from engaging 

4 in a transaction with a sanctioned person or government), 

5 including a country that is designated as a state sponsor 

6 of terrorism, to prohibit imports or exports. 

7 ‘‘(2) In this subsection, the term ‘state sponsor of ter8 rorism’ means a country the government of which the Sec9 retary of State determines has repeatedly provided sup10 port for international terrorism pursuant to— 

11 ‘‘(A) section 1754(c)(1)(A) of the Export Con12 trol Reform Act of 2018 (50 U.S.C. 4318(c)(1)(A)); 

13 ‘‘(B) section 620A of the Foreign Assistance 

14 Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2371); 

15 ‘‘(C) section 40 of the Arms Export Control Act 

16 (22 U.S.C. 2780); or 

17 ‘‘(D) any other provision of law.’’. 

18 SEC. 5. PROHIBITION ON MORATORIA OF NEW ENERGY 

19 LEASES ON CERTAIN FEDERAL LAND AND ON 

20 WITHDRAWAL OF FEDERAL LAND FROM EN21 ERGY DEVELOPMENT. 

22 (a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

23 (1) CRITICAL MINERAL.—The term ‘‘critical 

24 mineral’’ means any mineral included on the list of 

25 critical minerals published in the notice of the SecVerDate Sep 11 2014 18:48 Mar 03, 2022 Jkt 029200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H6858.IH H6858

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1 retary of the Interior entitled ‘‘Final List of Critical 

2 Minerals 2018’’ (83 Fed. Reg. 23295 (May 18, 

3 2018)). 

4 (2) FEDERAL LAND.— 

5 (A) IN GENERAL.—The term ‘‘Federal 

6 land’’ means— 

7 (i) National Forest System land; 

8 (ii) public lands (as defined in section 

9 103 of the Federal Land Policy and Man10 agement Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1702)); 

11 (iii) the outer Continental Shelf (as 

12 defined in section 2 of the Outer Conti13 nental Shelf Lands Act (43 U.S.C. 1331)); 

14 and 

15 (iv) land managed by the Secretary of 

16 Energy. 

17 (B) INCLUSION.—The term ‘‘Federal 

18 land’’ includes land described in clauses (i) 

19 through (iv) of subparagraph (A) for which the 

20 rights to the surface estate or subsurface estate 

21 are owned by a non-Federal entity. 

22 (3) PRESIDENT.—The term ‘‘President’’ means 

23 the President or any designee, including— 

24 (A) the Secretary of Agriculture; 

25 (B) the Secretary of Energy; and 


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1 (C) the Secretary of the Interior. 

2 (b) PROHIBITIONS.— 

3 (1) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding any other 

4 provision of law, the President shall not carry out 

5 any action that would prohibit or substantially delay 

6 the issuance of any of the following on Federal land, 

7 unless such an action has been authorized by an Act 

8 of Congress: 

9 (A) New oil and gas leases, drill permits, 

10 approvals, or authorizations. 

11 (B) New coal leases, permits, approvals, or 

12 authorizations. 

13 (C) New hard rock leases, permits, approv14 als, or authorizations. 

15 (D) New critical minerals leases, permits, 

16 approvals, or authorizations. 

17 (2) PROHIBITION ON WITHDRAWAL.—Notwith18 standing any other provision of law, the President 

19 shall not withdraw any Federal land from forms of 

20 entry, appropriation, or disposal under the public 

21 land laws, location, entry, and patent under the min22 ing laws, or disposition under laws pertaining to 

23 mineral and geothermal leasing or mineral materials 

24 unless the withdrawal has been authorized by an Act 

25 of Congress. 


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1 SEC. 6. OIL AND NATURAL GAS LEASING. 

2 (a) ONSHORE LEASE SALES.— 

3 (1) REQUIREMENT TO IMMEDIATELY RESUME

4 ONSHORE OIL AND GAS LEASE SALES.— 

5 (A) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of the 

6 Interior (referred to in this Act as the ‘‘Sec7 retary’’) shall immediately resume oil and gas 

8 lease sales in compliance with the Mineral Leas9 ing Act (30 U.S.C. 181 et seq.). 

10 (B) REQUIREMENT.—The Secretary shall 

11 ensure that any oil and gas lease sale under 

12 subparagraph (A) is conducted immediately on 

13 completion of all applicable scoping, public com14 ment, and environmental analysis requirements 

15 under the Mineral Leasing Act (30 U.S.C. 181 

16 et seq.) and the National Environmental Policy 

17 Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.). 

18 (2) ANNUAL LEASE SALES.— 

19 (A) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding any 

20 other provision of law, in accordance with the 

21 Mineral Leasing Act (30 U.S.C. 181 et seq.), 

22 beginning in fiscal year 2022, the Secretary 

23 shall conduct a minimum of 4 oil and natural 

24 gas lease sales annually in each of the following 

25 States: 

26 (i) Wyoming. 


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1 (ii) New Mexico. 

2 (iii) Colorado. 

3 (iv) Utah. 

4 (v) Montana. 

5 (vi) North Dakota. 

6 (vii) Oklahoma. 

7 (viii) Nevada. 

8 (ix) Any other State in which there is 

9 land available for oil and natural gas leas10 ing under that Act. 

11 (B) REQUIREMENT.—In conducting a lease 

12 sale under subparagraph (A) in a State de13 scribed in that subparagraph, the Secretary 

14 shall offer all parcels eligible for oil and gas de15 velopment under the resource management plan 

16 in effect for the State. 

17 (C) REPLACEMENT SALES.—If, for any 

18 reason, a lease sale under subparagraph (A) for 

19 a calendar year is canceled, delayed, or de20 ferred, including for a lack of eligible parcels, 

21 the Secretary shall conduct a replacement sale 

22 during the same calendar year. 

23 (b) OFFSHORE LEASE SALES.— 

24 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall conduct 

25 all lease sales described in the 2017–2022 Outer 


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1 Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Proposed 

2 Final Program (November 2016) that have not been 

3 conducted as of the date of enactment of this Act by 

4 not later than December 31, 2022. 

5 (2) GULF OF MEXICO REGION ANNUAL LEASE

6 SALES.—Notwithstanding any other provision of law, 

7 beginning in fiscal year 2022, the Secretary shall 

8 conduct a minimum of 2 region-wide oil and natural 

9 gas lease sales annually in the Gulf of Mexico Re10 gion of the outer Continental Shelf, which shall in11 clude the following areas described the 2017–2022 

12 Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Pro13 posed Final Program (November 2016): 

14 (A) The Central Gulf of Mexico Planning 

15 Area. 

16 (B) The Western Gulf of Mexico Planning 

17 Area. 

18 (3) ALASKA REGION ANNUAL LEASE SALES.— 

19 Notwithstanding any other provision of law, begin20 ning in fiscal year 2022, the Secretary shall conduct 

21 a minimum of 2 region-wide oil and natural gas 

22 lease sales annually in the Alaska Region of the 

23 outer Continental Shelf, as described the 2017–2022 

24 Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Pro25 posed Final Program (November 2016). 


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1 (4) REQUIREMENTS.—In conducting lease sales 

2 under paragraphs (2) and (3) the Secretary shall— 

3 (A) issue leases to the highest responsible 

4 qualified bidder or bidders; and 

5 (B) include in each lease sale all unleased 

6 areas that are not subject to restrictions as of 

7 the date of the lease sale. 

8 (5) OUTER CONTINENTAL SHELF OIL AND GAS

9 LEASING PROGRAM.—Section 18 of the Outer Conti10 nental Shelf Lands Act (43 U.S.C. 1344) is amend11 ed— 

12 (A) in subsection (a), in the first sentence 

13 of the matter preceding paragraph (1), by strik14 ing ‘‘subsections (c) and (d) of this section’’ 

15 and inserting ‘‘subsections (c) through (f)’’; 

16 (B) by redesignating subsections (f) 

17 through (h) as subsections (g) through (i), re18 spectively; and 

19 (C) by inserting after subsection (e) the 

20 following: 

21 ‘‘(f) SUBSEQUENT LEASING PROGRAMS.— 

22 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 36 months 

23 after conducting the first lease sale under an oil and 

24 gas leasing program prepared pursuant to this sec25 tion, the Secretary shall begin preparing the subseVerDate Sep 11 2014 18:48 Mar 03, 2022 Jkt 029200 PO 00000 Frm 00011 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H6858.IH H6858

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1 quent oil and gas leasing program under this sec2 tion. 

3 ‘‘(2) REQUIREMENT.—Each subsequent oil and 

4 gas leasing program under this section shall be ap5 proved not later than 180 days before the expiration 

6 of the previous oil and gas leasing program.’’. 

7 SEC. 7. STRATEGIC PRODUCTION RESPONSE PLAN. 

8 Section 161 of the Energy Policy and Conservation 

9 Act (42 U.S.C. 6241) is amended by adding at the end 

10 the following new subsection: 

11 ‘‘(k) PLAN.— 

12 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Except in the case of a se13 vere energy supply interruption described in sub14 section (d), the Secretary may not execute the first 

15 drawdown of petroleum products in the Reserve 

16 after the date of enactment of this subsection, 

17 whether through sale, exchange, or loan, until the 

18 Secretary has developed a plan to increase the per19 centage of Federal lands (including submerged lands 

20 of the Outer Continental Shelf) under the jurisdic21 tion of the Secretary of Agriculture, the Secretary of 

22 Energy, the Secretary of the Interior, and the Sec23 retary of Defense leased for oil and gas production 

24 by the same percentage as the percentage of petro25 leum in the Strategic Petroleum Reserve that is to 


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1 be drawn down in that first and subsequent 

2 drawdowns, subject to the limitation under para3 graph (2). 

4 ‘‘(2) LIMITATION.—The plan required by para5 graph (1) shall not provide for a total increase in 

6 the percentage of Federal lands described in para7 graph (1) leased for oil and gas production in excess 

8 of 10 percent. 

9 ‘‘(3) CONSULTATION.—The Secretary shall pre10 pare the plan required by paragraph (1) in consulta11 tion with the Secretary of Agriculture, the Secretary 

12 of the Interior, and the Secretary of Defense.’’. 

Æ 


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