[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 133 (Saturday, August 6, 2022)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4320-S4321]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

  SA 5336. Mr. LEE submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by 
him to the bill H.R. 5376, to provide for reconciliation pursuant to 
title II of S. Con. Res. 14; which was ordered to lie on the table; as 
follows:

       At the end of title IV, add the following:

     SEC. 40008. ACTIONS BY NATIONAL MARINE FISHERIES SERVICE TO 
                   INCREASE ENERGY PRODUCTION.

       (a) In General.--The National Marine Fisheries Service 
     shall--
       (1) immediately upon the enactment of this Act, take action 
     to address the outstanding backlog of letters of 
     authorization from Federal oil and gas lessees to develop 
     their Federal leases;
       (2) not later than 45 days after such date of enactment, 
     issue an interim rule that allows

[[Page S4321]]

     the Service to approve outstanding and future applications 
     for letters of authorization consistent with the Service's 
     permitting activities that existed before the issuance, on 
     January 21, 2021, of the final rule relating to taking marine 
     mammals incidental to geophysical surveys related to oil and 
     gas activities in the Gulf of Mexico (86 Fed. Reg. 5322); and
       (3) on and after such date of enactment, prioritize the 
     consideration of applications for letters of authorization 
     that would likely lead to immediate energy production.
       (b) Funding.--Of amounts appropriated by section 40001, 
     there are available to the Administrator of the National 
     Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration such amounts as are 
     necessary to carry out subsection (a).
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