WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Rep. Blake Moore has joined with five Republican colleagues from the House Committee on Natural Resources in putting forward six proposals meant to spur U.S. energy production.

The lawmakers take aim at President Joe Biden in proposing the measures, variously charging his administration with implementing policies that stymie U.S. energy producers and push fuel prices up at the same time Russia’s invasion of Ukraine puts additional pressure on the sector.

“Since President Biden took office, his policies have directly stalled our domestic oil and gas production, raising costs for American families and leaving us dependent on corrupt nations — including Russia — for energy,” Moore said in a statement. “As we watch the devastating global instability in Eastern Europe and experience pain at the gas pump, it is abundantly clear why we must unleash America’s energy production capabilities and hold the Biden Administration’s feet to the fire so we can become energy independent and keep more money in Americans’ pockets.”

Moore’s measure, the Promoting Energy Independence and Transparency Act, would require applications for permits to drill for energy to be issued if they’ve successfully gone through the environmental review process. More than 4,600 permits to drill are pending at the U.S. Department of Interior, a statement from his office said, pointing a finger at Biden.

Five other GOP lawmakers, Reps. Jerry Carl of Alabama, Garret Graves of Louisiana, Yvette Herrell of New Mexico, Matt Rosendale of Montana and Beth Van Duyne of Texas, simultaneously introduced parallel measures. They variously aim to bolster energy production in the Gulf of Mexico, Alaska’s Outer Continental Shelf and certain federal lands, among other things.

The lawmakers laid into Biden, characterizing more lenient regulation of energy resources as key to bolstering U.S. energy independence and the American economy.

Together with other measures GOPers have put forward, “we are advancing an all-of-the-above energy approach that will strength our nation and allow us to lead the world into the future,” Rep. Bruce Westerman of Arkansas, the ranking member of the House Committee on Natural Resources, said.

Under former President Donald Trump, Carl said, “we had regular oil and gas lease sales in the Gulf of Mexico, and the United States became energy independent.” His bill, he went on, “would require two new oil and gas lease sales each year in the Gulf of Mexico and in Alaska, while also prohibiting oil and gas lease sales from being blocked or slowed down again.”

Biden put forward a proposed fiscal year 2023 budget on Monday meant to bolster production of clean energy technology in the United States and accelerate use of cleaner energy sources.

“A core pillar of President Biden’s economic agenda is creating good-paying union jobs and reducing energy costs by tackling the climate crisis,” a statement from Biden’s office said.

The spending plan would allocate funds for loan programs to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and expand clean energy production, among other things. Moore is a Salt Lake City Republican and is up for reelection this year.

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