Senate Votes To Reverse Coal Leasing Ban In Wyoming

In a sharply divided vote Thursday, the U.S. Senate approved legislation introduced by Senator Cynthia Lummis to roll back a Biden administration plan that would bar new coal leasing in Wyoming’s Powder River Basin. The measure — H.J. Res. 130 — now heads to President Trump, who is expected to sign it.

Restoring Coal Access

Supporters hailed the vote as a victory for Wyoming’s coal workers, energy security and local economies. Lummis said the administration’s Resource Management Plan Amendment amounted to “far-left … bureaucrats” attacking entire industries and communities. “Wyoming energy has powered this country for decades,” she said. Senator John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) called the original plan “job-killing,” warning that it would cut off access to one of the country’s strongest coal resou