Lafayette Reporter

Senator John Kennedy of Louisiana has expressed his approval for recent deregulation efforts impacting the energy industry in his op-ed for The Advocate. He commended the partnership between Congress and the Trump administration in reversing policies he described as harmful, particularly those enacted during President Joe Biden's tenure.

Kennedy stated, "President Joe Biden spent four years trying to drag the U.S. into the dark ages with his anti-energy policies. Thanks to the wisdom of the American people, though, those days are over." He emphasized the renewed focus on American energy independence under President Donald Trump's leadership, mentioning the repeal of certain Biden-era regulations affecting energy producers in Louisiana.

The senator explained the challenges of reversing formal rules introduced during the Biden administration, noting the potential lengthy process. However, he highlighted the role of the Congressional Review Act (CRA) in expediting these changes. According to Kennedy, "Congress, however, has a tool to help the Trump administration expedite rule changes. It’s called the Congressional Review Act (CRA), and it allows lawmakers to wipe bad rules off the books."

Kennedy also detailed his efforts in using the CRA to nullify a specific Bureau of Ocean Energy Management rule. He noted, "I’ve already started putting this tool to work for the American people. I introduced a joint resolution of disapproval under the CRA to eliminate a Bureau of Ocean Energy Management rule that required oil and gas producers in the Gulf of America to submit archaeological reports to the federal government before drilling or laying pipelines."

The rule, according to Kennedy, threatened small and independent oil producers with considerable financial burdens. He remarked, "Small and independent operations make up roughly one-third of all oil production in the Gulf, and this rule would have cost them millions of dollars. Fortunately, my colleagues in Congress agreed that this rule was bogus. Last week, President Trump signed my CRA into law and rendered that rule void."

Kennedy concluded by criticizing the previous administration's regulatory approach, asserting, "President Biden made a disgusting mess of America’s energy sector by sticking bad regulations on producers like gum to a park bench. Louisianians can count on us to keep scraping away at these terrible regulations until each one is repealed and America has returned to a position of energy dominance."

Kennedy's full op-ed can be accessed for further reading.