On Thursday, the House voted to undo a Biden administration rule requiring oil and gas lessees and operators to submit archaeological reports for exploration or development on the Outer Continental Shelf, sending the measure to President Donald Trump to sign. 

House lawmakers voted 221 to 202 to pass the resolution, offered by Rep. Mike Ezell (R-MS), to overturn the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management’s Protection of Marine Archaeological Resources. Republicans argued that the rule blocks domestic energy production and burdens oil and gas lessees with costly surveys.

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“The Biden administration steamrolled the American energy sector with burdensome regulations on U.S. oil and gas production, driving up costs and stifling growth,” Ezell said in a statement earlier this month.

The rule was finalized last September in compliance with the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) to protect and identify archaeological resources on the Outer Continental Shelf before being damaged by oil and gas operations. Before exploration or operation can start, the rule requires a survey to be conducted of the area by a qualified marine archaeologist that meets the Department of Interior’s standards.

Democrats said the rule would have helped the industry.

“These surveys prevent costly surprises for industry and the taxpayer by enabling the industry to plan its activities with knowledge of any sunken resources ahead of time, rather than having to stop and modify its activities after costly initial investments,”  Rep. Katherine Clark (D-CT) said in a statement on Thursday.  

The bill “demonstrates that, once again, House Republicans are prioritizing oil and gas companies’ profits instead of working to make life more affordable for everyday Americans,” Clark said. 

During the comment period in 2023, the National Ocean Policy Coalition expressed concerns about the draft rule adding costs and delays to domestic explorations that could also harm the restoration activities that offshore energy development helps to fund. 

The group noted that “U.S. offshore conventional energy production accounts for 15 percent of the nation’s crude oil supply and generated over $1 billion in revenue in FY 2022 for conservation and restoration activities and the U.S. Treasury’s General Fund.” The coalition urged the agency at the time to address these concerns to ensure benefits continue.

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The Senate last week voted to overturn the regulation with three Democrats voting in favor. The bill in the Senate was sponsored by Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA).

Both chambers reversed the rule using the Congressional Review Act, which allows Congress to bypass the filibuster and take a simple majority vote in the House and Senate to overturn recently implemented rules.