Opinion - Stop gambling taxpayer dollars on Arctic drilling delusions
Congress is once again floating the idea of using projected oil and gas revenues from leasing in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to offset rising deficits. But new lease sales in the Refuge aren't just a bad fiscal bet — they also threaten one of Alaska's most dependable economic engines: outdoor recreation.
Last month, seven oil and gas leases covering more than 365,000 acres in the Arctic Refuge were reinstated to the Alaska Industrial Development and Export Authority, a corporation that is state-owned and publicly funded but operates with incredibly limited legislative and public oversight — not an oil and gas company. Despite the political fanfare, this isn't a win for the industry or taxpayers; it's a clear reminder that private energy companies have higher priorities than the Arctic Refuge.
The Arctic Refuge lease sale in 2021 drew just three bidders, with the Alaska Industrial Development and Export Authority accounting for 84 percent of leased acreage, all sold at the minimum price. The other two bidders eventually relinquished their leases. The most recent lease sale in January 2025 attracted zero bids, delivering precisely zero dollars to taxpayers. Banks such as JPMorgan Chase and Goldman Sachs, along with leading insurers, refuse to support Arctic drilling. When the world's biggest financial players won't touch these projects, it's clear that Arctic drilling is a losing investment.
But the risk isn't just financial — it's ecological and economic as well. The Arctic Refuge's coastal plain is not just a remote stretch of wilderness; it's a vital ecosystem owned by all Americans that sustains Alaskan livelihoods through hunting, fishing and outdoor recreation. Hunters and anglers rely on the Arctic Refuge's habitat, home to migrating caribou, nesting waterfowl, and fish species like Arctic char and Dolly Varden trout.
This isn't empty land — it's an economic anchor for the region. Outdoor recreation provides stable jobs and reliable revenue for Alaskan communities. The most recent data highlights that outdoor recreation accounts for nearly 5 percent of Alaska's economy — it added more than $3 billion to the state economy in 2023 and supports 6 percent of Alaska's jobs.
By pushing speculative oil leases, lawmakers are jeopardizing the reliable revenue that outdoor recreation generates for local communities and the country. Sacrificing one sector's proven economic gains for uncertain drilling prospects is fiscally irresponsible and shortsighted.
Some in Congress, however, insist on using projected revenues from drilling in the Arctic Refuge to offset extending major provisions of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which is set to expire soon. This effort perpetuates the fiction that new leasing in this critical fish and wildlife habitat can meaningfully reduce deficits.
But the numbers don't lie. According to our detailed analysis of lease sales in Alaska's National Petroleum Reserve and North Slope region, federal revenues from future Arctic Refuge lease sales would likely amount to just $3 million to $30 million, even if all available acres are offered for sale. That's a pittance compared to the trillion-dollar deficit impact of extending the 2017 tax cuts. Taxpayers have seen this movie before — and it doesn't end well.
We raised this alarm in 2017, warning that the promised $1.8 billion in Arctic Refuge auction revenues was wildly exaggerated. And we were right. The first lease sale brought in just $16.5 million — nearly all from the state-backed company at minimum bids. The second sale, in January 2025, generated nothing at all. Doubling down on these leases as a source of meaningful revenue isn't optimism — it's budgetary wishful thinking.
Lawmakers must face reality: Revenue from lease sales in the Arctic Refuge aren't even a rounding error in budget reconciliation. Continuing to gamble taxpayer resources on speculative leases ignores economic facts and undermines proven, sustainable industries — like outdoor recreation — that create high-paying jobs for Alaskans. Leasing in the Arctic Refuge will not generate sizable revenue for taxpayers but will risk irreplaceable wildlife habitats that support an abundance of hunting and angling opportunities.
Domestic oil and gas development and responsible stewardship of public lands don't have to be mutually exclusive. We can tap America's vast natural resources and generate meaningful returns for taxpayers while at the same time protecting public lands, wildlife habitats, and valuable outdoor recreation opportunities for generations to come. But banking on Arctic Refuge lease sale revenues to help pay for more tax cuts is as misguided now as it was in 2017.
Back then, just eight years ago, the national debt stood at roughly $20 trillion. Today, it exceeds $36 trillion. Congress needs real budget solutions, not more fiscal delusions that threaten our public lands legacy.
Steve Ellis is president of Taxpayers for Common Sense. Patrick Berry is president and CEO of Backcountry Hunters & Anglers.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Associated Press
21 minutes ago
- Associated Press
Hegseth faces Congress for first time since Signal leaks and Marine deployment to Los Angeles
WASHINGTON (AP) — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is expected to field sharp questions from members of Congress about his tumultuous start as Pentagon chief, including his sharing of sensitive military details over a Signal chat, in three separate Capitol Hill hearings beginning Tuesday. Lawmakers also have made it clear they are unhappy that Hegseth has not provided details on the administration's first proposed defense budget, which President Donald Trump has said would total $1 trillion, a significant increase over the current spending level of more than $800 billion. It will be lawmakers' first chance to ask Hegseth about a myriad of other controversial spending by the Pentagon, including plans to spend hundreds of millions of dollars on security upgrades to turn a Qatari jet into Air Force One and to pour as much as $45 million into a parade recently added to the Army's 250th birthday bash, which happens to coincide with Trump's birthday on Saturday. Lawmakers may quiz Hegseth on the latest searing images coming out of the immigration raid protests in Los Angeles. Hegseth has deployed about 700 active-duty Marines to assist more than 4,100 National Guard troops in protecting federal buildings and personnel. But there are questions about what the troops will have to do and how much it will all cost. Under the Posse Comitatus Act, troops are prohibited from policing U.S. citizens on American soil. Invoking the Insurrection Act, which allows troops to do that, is incredibly rare, and it's not clear if Trump plans to do it. The commandant of the Marine Corps, Gen. Eric Smith, will be on Capitol Hill testifying at a separate budget hearing at the same time as Hegseth and is likely to face similar questions. What Hegseth has focused on so far Hegseth has spent vast amounts of time during his first five months in office promoting the social changes he's making at the Pentagon. He's been far less visible in the administration's more critical international security crises and negotiations involving Russia, Ukraine, Israel, Gaza and Iran. Most recently, Hegseth directed the renaming of a Navy ship that had honored Harvey Milk, a slain gay rights activist who served as a sailor during the Korean War. His spokesman, Sean Parnell, said the renaming was needed to ensure 'the names attached to all DOD installations and assets are reflective of the commander-in-chief's priorities, our nation's history, and the warrior ethos.' Hegseth has posted numerous videos of his morning workouts with troops or of himself signing directives to purge diversity and equity programs and online content from the military. He has boasted of removing transgender service members from the force and firing so-called woke generals, many of whom were women. He was on the international stage about a week ago, addressing an annual national security conference in Asia about threats from China. But a trip to NATO headquarters last week was quick and quiet, and he deliberately skipped a gathering of about 50 allies and partners where they discussed ongoing support for Ukraine. His use of the Signal messaging app Hegseth's hearing Tuesday before the House Appropriations Defense Subcommittee will be his first public appearance on Capitol Hill since he squeaked through his Senate confirmation with a tie-breaking vote. It was the closest vote of any Cabinet member. While he has talked a lot about making the military more lethal, it was his use of the unclassified, unsecured Signal messaging app that quickly caught public attention. Set up by then-national security adviser Mike Waltz, a group chat included Hegseth and other senior administration leaders and was used to share information about upcoming military strikes in Yemen. The chat became a public embarrassment because the editor-in-chief of The Atlantic, Jeffrey Goldberg, was inadvertently added to it. Waltz took responsibility for the gaffe, but Hegseth was roundly criticized for sharing details about the military strikes in this chat and in another one that included his wife and brother. Multiple investigations are looking into his use of Signal. The Defense Department's acting inspector general has been looking into the initial chat at the request of the Republican and Democratic leaders of the Senate Armed Services Committee. The Pentagon's watchdog also is reviewing whether any of Hegseth's aides were asked to delete any Signal messages. Controversial Pentagon spending While any number of those issues could come up at the House Armed Services Committee hearing Thursday, money issues are more likely to be the focus of the hearings Tuesday in the House and Wednesday before the Senate Appropriations Defense Subcommittee. Already defense leaders have been grilled in other hearings on the plans to retrofit the Qatari jet and the costs of the military parade. Trump has long wanted a parade, and Army leaders defended it as a good way to attract new recruits. Other questions may involve the costs of expanding the use of military forces to secure the southern border, the plans for the Golden Dome missile defense program, and how the department intends to fund modernization programs for drones and other critical weapons systems.
UPI
31 minutes ago
- UPI
GOP Rep. Mark Green to resign for private-sector job after final budget vote
Rep. Mark Green, R-Tenn., salutes as he questions Secret Service Acting Director Ronald L. Rowe Jr. during a Full Task Force hearing on Dec. 5, 2024. On Monday, Green announced he would resign from Congress, once he votes on President Donald Trump's massive policy bill, to take a private-sector job. File Photo by Jemal Countess/UPI | License Photo June 9 (UPI) -- Republican Rep. Mark Green of Tennessee plans to resign from Congress for a private-sector job "too exciting to pass up," once the House takes its final vote on President Donald Trump's massive policy bill. Green, who will also vacate his role as chair of the House Homeland Security Committee, already has a job lined up. He announced in February that he wanted to resign, but changed his mind after receiving encouragement from the public and Trump. On Monday, he released a statement on his final decision. "It is with a heavy heart that I announce my retirement from Congress. Recently, I was offered an opportunity in the private sector that was too exciting to pass up," Green said. "As a result, today I notified the Speaker and the House of Representatives that I will resign from Congress as soon as the House votes once again on the reconciliation package," he added. The legislative package is currently in the Senate. "Though I planned to retire at the end of the previous Congress, I stayed to ensure that President Trump's border security measures and priorities make it through Congress. By overseeing the border security portion of the reconciliation package, I have done that," Green said. "After that, I will retire, and there will be a special election to replace me." With Green's resignation, there will be 219 Republicans and 212 Democrats in the House. Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee will be required to order a special election within 10 days of Green's resignation. Primary elections would occur within 55 to 60 days, with a general election scheduled within 100 to 107 days. Green, who served three terms in Congress, is a doctor and a retired U.S. Army major. He served as a flight surgeon during the mission that captured Saddam Hussein. He later wrote about his experience interviewing the Iraqi leader in a book called A Night with Saddam. As chairman of the Committee on Homeland Security, Green led efforts to impeach former Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and pass the Secure the Border Act. Green joins a number of Republicans -- and GOP committee chairs -- who have resigned, including House Energy and Commerce Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash., House Financial Services Chair Patrick McHenry, R-N.C., and House Appropriations Chair Kay Granger, R-Texas. "I have now served the public for nearly four decades. The Army took me to Iraq and Afghanistan. The people sent me to the Tennessee legislature and the halls of Congress," Green said. "However, my time in Congress has come to an end."
Yahoo
40 minutes ago
- Yahoo
School presidents celebrate the value of faith-based higher education
WASHINGTON — Nearly 2 million students attend faith-based colleges and universities, a fast-growing segment of American higher education that now has a new tool to share its story. Over 50 college and university presidents gathered Monday at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in the nation's capital and vigorously applauded after watching the first episode of a new BYUtv documentary series, 'Higher Ed: The Power of Faith-Inspired Learning in America." 'Faith-based institutions are the bedrock of American higher education, and we've not paid adequate attention to that role and to that responsibility,' said Ted Mitchell, president of the American Council on Education. ACE launched a Commission on Faith-based Colleges and Universities last year and Monday's event drew the presidents of dozens of commission member schools, including Notre Dame, Yeshiva University and Brigham Young University. The event also drew representatives of the U.S. Department of Education, the Faith Angle Forum, the American Enterprise Institute and the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, as well as reporters from The Washington Post and other media outlets. The new BYUtv documentary highlights students and presidents at three faith-based schools — Catholic University of America, Taylor University and BYU-Hawaii. 'This is a way of saying, 'Faith institutions have a contribution to make,'' said Elder Clark G. Gilbert, the commissioner of education for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Two additional episodes will be released in August and will include students from other commission schools. Those schools amount to 10% of the nation's colleges and universities and are excited to tell their stories, four presidents said during a panel discussion. Their stories need to be told even to people of faith, said Ryan Burge, the event's keynote speaker and a well-known analyst of data on faith and religion at Eastern Illinois University. Burge said it's a myth that college is a place where students lose their faith. 'College is not antithetical to religion,' he said. 'In some ways, it accelerates religion, enhances religion.' Data shows that the more educated Americans are, the more faithful they are, Burge said. He has found that the more Americans are educated and faithful, the more they flourish in numerous data sets. 'To summarize, education is good. Religion is good. Education plus religion is good,' he said. 'It causes trust. It makes us more loving of our neighbors. It increases our income. It increases all these outcomes.' In the documentary, Isabela Barboza said she decided to attend Catholic University of America because she decided that 'if religion is part of my life, it has to be part of my education and formation.' Taylor University student Hannah Wylie, whose parents attended Harvard and Brown, said she struggled before turning down her own Ivy League offer to attend the small evangelical school in Upland, Indiana. She is grateful she did. 'I wanted to be taught to think deeply about things I was doing,' she said in the documentary. 'I wanted to do things for a purpose.' Every college and university president in America is grappling with data that shows students facing a crisis of meaning in their lives. Rabbi Avi Berman, the president of Yeshiva University, took a moment of gratitude during the panel discussion because he found the documentary powerful. 'Young people are looking to university to find themselves and their values because they are not seeing answers to their deep, existential questions in the ephemeral choices being offered them in other institutions,' he said. Lipscomb University President Candice McQueen said she was grateful the documentary illustrated what colleges and universities like her Churches of Christ school in Nashville, Tennessee, bring to the table. The Rev. Robert Dowd, president of the University of Notre Dame, said his school takes a both-and approach to the holistic growth of its students. 'Notre Dame is a place where we educate the whole person, where both faith and reason are engaged, where matters of the heart as well as the life of the mind are very much valued,' he said. 'We want our students to grow not only in understanding, in knowledge and in technical skills but in wisdom, and we want them to grow in faith, hope and love.' Among those in attendance were BYU President Shane Reese, BYU-Idaho President Alvin Meredith, BYU-Pathway Worldwide President Brian Ashton and Ensign College President Bruce Kusch. BYU-Hawaii President John Kauwe wasn't at the Kennedy Center, but he was seen in the documentary riding a skateboard on the Laie, Hawaii, campus in white Nikes with a black swoosh and a splash of blue. 'What faith-based institutions offer is another type of belonging,' Kauwe says in the 30-minute film. The presidents met in working groups in the morning to learn about best practices around issues like hiring people who fit a school's mission and how to share and elevate stories about their faith-based schools. Elder Gilbert said the Commission on Faith-based Colleges and Universities creates a friendship for every school. 'There is connectivity for those who always feel like the odd man out,' he said.
