LOGAN – As part of the reshuffling of committee roles following the GOP takeover of the U.S. Senate on Nov. 5, Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) has earned a promotion.
Lee was appointed chairman of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources on Nov. 20, replacing Sen. Joe Manchin (I-WV), who is retiring from the Senate.
“Our nation stands at a pivotal moment,” Lee said after winning the new post. “It’s time to harness our nation’s abundant natural resources to achieve energy independence, stimulate economic growth and return stewardship of our beautiful lands to the American people who know them best.”
Among other responsibilities, the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee has jurisdiction over the U.S. Geological Survey and the Department of Energy.
The committee also has jurisdiction over fisheries and wildlife, including research, restoration, refuges and conservation efforts; forest reserves; national parks; land grants; alien ownership of mineral rights; and international fishing agreements.
In the nearly-completed 118th Congress, Lee has been a vocal critic of Biden administration land management agencies, including the Department of the Interior and the Bureau of Land Management, over their control of Utah’s public lands.
In October, Lee condemned BLM’s final version of the proposed management plan for the Bears Ears National Monument, a 1.36 million-acre federal set-aside in southern Utah. Lee emphasized a lack of local input into that plan and its harmful impact on Utahns who depend on the land for their livelihoods.
In July, Lee introduced a trio of bills intended to ensure access to federal lands and reaffirm the authority of state and local jurisdictions.
In April, Lee introduced the State Grazing Management Authority Act, a bill to empower states to manage grazing allotments on federal lands. That legislation is intended to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of rangeland management while fostering collaboration between local stakeholders and government agencies.
In conjunction with Lee’s assumption of the committee chairmanship, Senate staffer Wendy Baig will assume the role of staff director of the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
She has been a member of Lee’s staff for 12 years, serving as his legislative director, executive director of the Senate GOP Steering Committee and most recently as his chief counsel.
“I look forward,” Lee added, after announcing Baig’s appointment, “to collaborating with my colleagues to make life affordable again for families in Utah and across America.”