Since President Biden’s first week in office, he has fulfilled his campaign promise of suspending the program of leasing federal land for oil and gas production through his direction of the Department of the Interior. However, Monroe U.S. District Court Judge Terry A. Doughty, appointed during the Trump administration, issued a preliminary injunction to block the pausing of new oil and gas leases claiming Biden is overstepping his power and that it must be done with congressional approval.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently waived Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) requirement for Andeavor, one of the nation’s largest oil refineries. Andeavor’s exemption tolls a death knell for the RFS and its crony backers.

Responding to reports that Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke is set to meet with North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper this weekend, FreedomWorks Vice President of Advocacy Noah Wall urged Governor Cooper to listen to several other elected officials in North Carolina who support the recent proposal by the Department of Interior to expand the nation’s offshore oil and gas exploration plan: