Press Releases

Washington, D.C. (January 15, 2016) – Today Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell announced a moratorium on any new leases for coal production on federal land.

Western Caucus Chairman Cynthia Lummis (WY-At large) issued the following statement in response:

“There is a reason President Obama waited until the last months of his presidency to sell out the American people who depend on coal for livelihoods and affordable energy: it might score political points with ideologues in Washington, but it’s a terrible, economically-devastating policy for main street Americans. The impacts are middle class workers left without jobs, a regressive tax on the poor’s energy bills, lost revenue for schools and roads, a risk of homes not being lit and warm in the winter, and America losing its global economic edge. We all expected the death throes of this Administration to be desperate for a legacy. But President Obama continues to shock with his apathy towards poor and middle class America and his malice towards coal country and the West. The end of his utterly failed presidency cannot come a moment too soon.”

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