State of Montana Newsroom
Governor Gianforte Praises Repeal of Federal Anti-Coal Rule
President Donald J. Trump signs Daines, Downing proposals
Senate Joint Resolution 61 (S.J.Res.61), sponsored by Sen. Steve Daines, R-Montana, and House Joint Resolution 104 (H.J.Res.104), sponsored by Rep. Troy Downing, R-Montana, overturned the Biden-era Bureau of Land Management’s amendment to the Miles City Field Office Resource Management Plan Amendment (RMPA).
“I’m grateful for the strong leadership of President Trump and Montana’s federal delegation to defend coal-based power and strengthen our nation’s energy security,” Gov. Gianforte said. “The president’s actions ensure Montana’s public schools will not suffer a $4 billion cut while prioritizing reliable, affordable power.”
The RMPA as amended by Biden would have removed more than 338 million tons of federal coal in Montana from leasing consideration and would isolate all of Montana’s state trust land coal reserves, amounting to a loss of over $4 billion in future revenue to state trust land beneficiaries, which include K-12 public education in Montana.
In July, the governor called on Congress to reverse the RMPA, calling it part of “a four-year attack on tradition, made-in-America energy” by the Biden administration, which sought to “weaponize government against fossil fuels like coal.”
In April, Gov. Gianforte joined President Trump at the White House to celebrate executive orders signed by the president aimed at unleashing American energy and supporting Montana’s coal industry.
The governor concluded, “I want to thank President Trump, Sen. Daines, Rep. Downing, and Montana’s entire congressional delegation for advocating for our ‘all-of-the-above’ energy strategy and ensuring the future prosperity of our schools and public institutions.”
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