Houston Daily

Congressman Wesley Hunt's Comprehensive Offshore Resource Enhancement (CORE) Act has successfully passed out of the House Natural Resources Committee. The legislation aims to provide a precise evaluation of undiscovered oil and gas reserves in the United States and the Gulf of America.

The CORE Act addresses concerns raised during the Biden Administration regarding the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management's (BOEM) estimates of these reserves. Critics argue that BOEM's figures were deliberately understated, impacting lease sales in a five-year plan.

To counter this issue, the CORE Act proposes increased transparency within the Department of the Interior’s geophysical and geological resource mapping processes. It also seeks to streamline survey permitting and protect against lawsuits from climate activists.

"Time and time again we witnessed the Biden Administration politicize mundane and traditionally non-partisan processes to harm America's oil and gas industry," Congressman Hunt stated. He emphasized that "the politicization of geophysical and geological surveys is no different."

Hunt further commented on energy needs: "The United States and the entire world need more energy, especially from the Gulf of America, as it is the cleanest and most efficient oil and gas found anywhere in the world." He argued for a transparent formula to guide lease plans, aiming to reduce energy prices nationwide by removing discretion from "partisan bureaucrats."