Key Takeaways
- •The committee favorably reported the nominations of Stevan Pearce (Director, Bureau of Land Management), David LaCerte (Commissioner, FERC), and Kyle Haustveit (Under Secretary, Department of Energy).
- •Nominees committed to advancing domestic energy production and multiple-use land mandates, though Democrats questioned their long-term commitment to conservation and renewable energy loan programs.
- •Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-NM) opposed Stevan Pearce’s nomination, citing the former Congressman’s history of advocating for public land sell-offs and opposing national monument protections in New Mexico.
- •Republicans and Democrats disagreed on the Montana Sportsmen Conservation Act, with GOP members favoring wilderness study area releases and Democrats insisting on balanced conservation designations.
- •These nominations and 12 legislative items, including the Upper Price River Watershed Project Act, now proceed to the full Senate for final consideration and potential floor votes.
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Hearing Analysis
Overview
The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, led by Chairman Mike Lee (R-UT), convened on March 4, 2026, for a business meeting to consider three high-level executive nominations and a slate of 12 legislative items. The meeting was characterized by a push to maintain a quorum for voting, leading to an expedited process where votes were held prior to formal remarks from the members. Chairman Lee emphasized a bipartisan approach to the legislative calendar, noting that the committee had considered an equal number of Republican and Democrat bills during recent markups, a departure from the practices of previous Congresses.
The committee first addressed the nominations of three individuals for senior roles within the agencies under its jurisdiction. The Honorable Stevan Pearce was considered for Director of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) within the Department of the Interior (DOI). The Honorable David LaCerte was considered for a full term as a Commissioner on the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), and the Honorable Kyle Haustveit was considered for Under Secretary of Energy at the Department of Energy (DOE). All three nominees were reported favorably, though the votes largely followed party lines. Pearce and Haustveit were advanced by 11-9 votes, while LaCerte was advanced by a 12-8 vote.
Key Testimony
Ranking Member Martin Heinrich (D-NM) expressed significant reservations regarding the nominees. He opposed Pearce based on the nominee’s past record in New Mexico, specifically his history of opposing national monument designations and calling for the sell-off of public lands. While Pearce testified he would not recommend rolling back monuments, Heinrich argued that his constituents could not ignore Pearce's previous actions. Heinrich opposed Haustveit’s promotion to Under Secretary, criticizing his "best of the above" energy stance as inconsistent with traditional "all of the above" policies and expressing concern that the DOE’s loan program might be used to subsidize older technologies rather than 21st-century innovations. Regarding LaCerte, Heinrich acknowledged his service but voted no as a protest against the administration’s broader energy policies, which he claimed were creating a "grid crisis."
Overview
On the legislative front, the committee considered several significant bills affecting land management and energy infrastructure. A major point of discussion was S. 3527, the Montana Sportsmen Conservation Act, introduced by Sen. Steve Daines (R-MT). The bill seeks to release the Middle Fork Judith, Hoodoo Mountain, and Wales Creek Wilderness Study Areas (WSAs) from their current designations to allow for general management. Sen. Daines argued the release is necessary for fuels management to mitigate wildfire risk, address mountain pine beetle outbreaks, and maintain cattle grazing and recreation. While the bill passed 12-8 with the support of Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Ranking Member Heinrich opposed it, stating he could not support removing conservation protections without adding new ones elsewhere.
The committee also approved S. 3004, the Upper Price River Watershed Project Act, sponsored by Chairman Lee. This bill authorizes the transfer of 124 acres of BLM land to the City of Price, Utah, to facilitate the construction of the Lower Price River Reservoir. The project is intended to address severe drought conditions in central Utah by expanding water storage and improving delivery systems. Other legislation approved en bloc included S. 2787, which addresses the backlog of environmental reviews for grazing permits. Heinrich opposed S. 2787, arguing it would lead to "perpetual and automatic renewals" of grazing permits without necessary agency oversight of changing rangeland conditions.
Policy Proposals
The meeting concluded with the approval of several other bills, including legislation to establish the Ralph David Abernathy National Historic Site and a bill to resolve land issues in Carson City, Nevada. Chairman Lee and Ranking Member Heinrich both praised the technical cooperation between their staffs that allowed the majority of the legislative agenda to move forward despite disagreements on specific land-use policies and executive branch personnel.
Overview
The following organizations were identified and discussed during the hearing: - United States Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: The presiding body that conducted the votes on nominations and legislation. - Bureau of Land Management (BLM): Discussed regarding the nomination of Stevan Pearce as Director, the management of Wilderness Study Areas in Montana, and the land transfer for the Price, Utah reservoir project. - Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC): Referenced in the context of David LaCerte’s nomination for a full term as Commissioner. - United States Department of Energy (DOE): Mentioned regarding Kyle Haustveit’s nomination for Under Secretary and the management of the department's loan programs. - City of Price, Utah (Price): Identified as the beneficiary of S. 3004, which facilitates a local watershed and reservoir project. - United States Department of the Interior (DOI): The parent agency of the BLM, mentioned in relation to the Pearce nomination. - Montana Stockgrowers Association, Montana Farm Bureau Federation, Montana Outfitters and Guides Association (MOGA), Great Falls Bicycle Club, Montana Logging Association, Montana Snowmobile Association, BlueRibbon Coalition, Southwest Montana Conservation Coalition, and Citizens for Balanced Use: These organizations were all cited by Sen. Daines as supporters of S. 3527, the Montana Sportsmen Conservation Act. - Montana Sportsmen for Fish and Wildlife: Cited as a supporting organization for the release of Montana Wilderness Study Areas. - City of Carson City, Nevada: Mentioned by Sen. Heinrich regarding legislation to resolve local land-use issues. - United States Forest Service (USFS): Referenced regarding its 2019 recommendation for timber harvest and fuels management in Montana.
Transcript
Committee will come to order. Good morning and welcome to everybody. I want to just sort of signpost where we're going today. We've got members who have signaled to us that they've got some calendaring commitments, so we're trying to work around the development and maintenance of a quorum before some of our members may have to leave. So what I'd like to do is bring about votes on the nominations and on the legislation that we're going to be handling, and then insofar as possible and with the consent of the committee membership, we'll try to hold off on speeches, on remarks until afterwards. We don't shoot to do it this way as a default matter, but sometimes when there are special calendaring concerns, we try to adjust. The nominees that we'll be considering today are for senior positions in each of the three major agencies under this committee's jurisdiction, each of whom have submitted timely answers to senators' questions for the record of our February 25 hearing last week. And they include the Honorable Stevan Pearce to be the Director of the Bureau of Land Management, the Honorable David LaCerte, FERC Commissioner, and the Honorable Kyle Haustveit for Under Secretary of Energy. In addition to that, we've got 12 bills and some accompanying amendments that we'll consider today that include priorities for senators on both sides of the aisle. All right, so what we will do, we're going to turn to some voice votes. We will have a quorum sufficient to do the voice-voted material as soon as one more senator of either party arrives, and we're expecting a couple of them shortly. All right, so I've been advised that we've got enough present to start with the nine technical or conforming amendments for several of the bills. I ask unanimous consent that we proceed to a voice vote on the nine amendments that we have indicated and that we do those en bloc. Those amendments are amendment number two to agenda item four, amendment three to agenda item six, amendment four to agenda item six, amendment nine to agenda item seven, amendment seven to agenda item 11, amendment one to agenda item 12, amendment five to agenda item nine, amendment six to agenda item 10, and amendment eight to agenda item number 15. If there are no objections, the committee will vote by voice en bloc on the amendments that I have just indicated. All those in favor of these amendments, please signify by saying aye.
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