Republicans mum as Dems target Natural Resources reconciliation bill, Westerman stock purchases

Democrats launched a salvo of attacks against reconciliation legislation at a House Natural Resources bill markup Tuesday

May 06, 2025

Democrats launched a salvo of attacks against reconciliation legislation at a House Natural Resources bill markup Tuesday, saying the bill to boost energy leasing on federal land and cut royalty payments was a giveaway to big companies — and they criticized Chair Bruce Westerman for buying shares in several oil and mining companies in March. 

Republicans, however, largely declined to engage in the debate or the amendments Democrats offered, and they instead largely limited their remarks to praising their bill as an effort to grow energy and mineral output that would contribute $18 billion to federal coffers. 

Westerman disclosed in an April filing that he had recently purchased shares in about 100 companies in the first quarter, including energy-producing and mining companies such as BP, Chevron, ConocoPhillips, Exxon Mobil, Shell, Suncor, Freeport-McMoRan and Rio Tinto. The Natural Resources Committee regulates those industries. 

Rep. Yassamin Ansari (D-Ariz.) revealed the filings in her opening statement at the markup, contending that Westerman would be “benefiting thanks to the handout that we are giving to oil and gas companies.” 

Westerman told POLITICO during a break in the proceedings that the purchases were made by an investment adviser without his knowledge and that he was in the process of divesting them. 

“As soon as I realized they had done that, I said, ‘Don’t invest in individual stocks, put it back into a fund,’” he said. “That’s what they’re doing, or in the process of doing.” 

“There was nothing wrong with what happened,” Westerman added, and he “totally” dismissed claims that he would benefit from his committee’s piece of the Republican megabill. 

Republican silence: After an hour of opening statements, the committee dove into more than 120 amendments filed by Democrats to modify the bill, which Republicans say would unlock more coal, oil, gas and mineral production on public lands and waters. 

But it quickly became clear that GOP lawmakers would not engage in any debate on the Democratic amendments, something Democrats seized on. 

Rep. Joe Neguse (D-Colo.) repeatedly pressed Republicans on whether Westerman or Speaker Mike Johnson had imposed a “gag order” on their members to speed up the reconciliation markups. 

Ranking member Jared Huffman (D-Calif.) at one point moved to adjourn the proceedings, forcing Republicans to scramble to get their members back to the room to defeat the motion. 

“Some members of this committee are not participating in debate, perhaps to avoid defending parts of this bill that are quite indefensible,” Huffman said. 

Westerman interjected at one point to say the Democratic amendments were “primarily designed to undermine the reconciliation process” by inserting policy measures into the budget bill. “Therefore, we really have nothing to add to that,” he said. 

Westerman told POLITICO that he had not instructed his members not to engage in the debate and that Johnson had told him of no such “gag order.” 

“They make that choice on their own,” he said. “I think most members just decided they didn’t want to waste time debating meaningless amendments.” 

What’s next: The committee has postponed recorded votes on all the amendments so far. The markup is expected to stretch into Tuesday evening and possibly Wednesday. 


By:  James Bikales
Source: Politico Pro