The Senate on Tuesday passed legislation to repeal a rule that adds costs to oil and gas production on the outer continental shelf — the first of many votes Republicans are planning to roll back Biden administration regulations. 

The 54-44 vote was the first that either chamber in the Republican-controlled Congress has taken to make use of the Congressional Review Act, which gives lawmakers power to repeal regulations they oppose if they act within a limited time window.

Republicans, who now control both chambers of Congress, can use the CRA to advance joint resolutions of disapproval repealing Biden administration rules finalized since last August — if they move in the next few months.

The Senate took its first CRA vote on Tuesday to repeal a Bureau of Ocean Energy Management rule requiring all new oil and gas leaseholders on the outer continental shelf to submit an archeological report before they can begin production. 

Three Democrats — Sens. John W. Hickenlooper of Colorado, and Catherine Cortez Masto and Jacky Rosen of Nevada — joined Republicans in voting to repeal the rule. 

Sen. John Kennedy, the Louisiana Republican who introduced the measure, said the rule burdens America’s energy producers with costly surveys for marine archaeological resources, such as shipwrecks.

Mr. Kennedy said the oil and gas industry has already surveyed the entire Gulf of America and identified where the shipwrecks are. 

The Biden administration rule creates an unnecessary burden that can add $20,000 to $1 million to the cost of drilling a well, which will be passed onto the consumer through increased prices to the oil and the gas obtained from the well, he said. 

“You want to know why we had such outrageous inflation under President Biden? Because of regulations like this,” Mr. Kennedy said. “And there are hundreds more that increased prices needlessly.”

The House will need to vote on the measure before it can go to President Trump for his signature. But first the House has two of its own CRA measures teed up for votes this week. 

One would repeal an Environmental Protection Agency rule implementing a methane emission fee on oil and natural gas facilities, as required under the Inflation Reduction Act, that Republicans say has stymied domestic energy production. 

The other targets an Energy Department rule banning certain natural gas water heaters.

• Lindsey McPherson can be reached at lmcpherson@washingtontimes.com.