Washington Update From the US Oil and Gas Association

All You Need To Know

March 4, 2024

Congressional update 

Perhaps someday Congress will pass appropriations bills to fund the government bill by bill in what is called Regular Order.  But that day is not today. Late last week, House and Senate leadership agreed to a deal to vote on six appropriations bills before March 8 and the other six bills by March 22. This is the singular focus of Congress until these bills are passed and the government is funded for the last six months of the 2024 Fiscal Year .   

A note on Sen. Mitch McConnell stepping down as Republican leader 

Senator Mitch McConnell announced this week that he will step down as the Republican leader in the Senate in November.  The Senator has been a fixture in the Senate during my entire 30+ years in Washington.  He is a true Master of the Senate – and apart from Senator Robert C. Byrd of West Virginia, there is no other Senator who has both understood and fiercely protected role of the Senate as an institution that Senator McConnell.   From our perspective, Senator McConnell deserves high praise for helping remake the federal judiciary while Trump was president. He had a single-minded focus on confirming conservative judges and that laser-like focus paid off and if the regulatory state is scaled back through judicial action -that alone will cement his legacy. 

On energy issues, Senator McConnell has always defended our industry and we hope the next Republican majority leader will be equally supportive in defending domestic energy production.    

Lastly, the real downside to McConnell stepping down is what comes next. The lack of cohesion of House Republicans shows what can happen and I hope that Senate Republicans can come together to advance a conservative agenda that drives domestic energy forward.