"As Democrats prepare their reconciliation package in the House, the Natural Resources Committee is proposing to halt drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, overhaul the federal oil and gas leasing program, and strengthen environmental review, according to a Democratic memo obtained by E&E News.

The internal document, outlining the panel’s plans for its portion of the $3.5 trillion reconciliation package released ahead of a planned Sept. 2 markup, reveals the scale of progressive climate ambitions of House Democrats.

It also shows the resolve of Chair Raúl Grijalva (D-Ariz.) to enact as much of his committee’s own legislative agenda as possible into the reconciliation bill. Many of the line items and revenue raisers listed in the memo mirror pieces of legislation he has shepherded through hearings and markups over the past year.

Many of the details remain unknown, and a committee spokesperson declined today to comment on the document, which laments the relatively modest, $25.6 billion allocation the panel received while expressing hope for getting a larger top-line number later on."

Emma Dumain and Kelsey Brugger report for E&E News August 26, 2021. [2]