WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.), chair of the Senate Pro-Life Caucus, today issued the following statement regarding President Biden’s 11th-hour illegitimate attempt to declare the 1970s-era Equal Rights Amendment ratified as part of the U.S. Constitution:
“President Biden’s pandering ERA declaration doesn’t hold any legal weight but does fall in line with the many instances over past four years when his administration blatantly ignored the rule of law – whether we’re looking at pro-life issues, school loans, or the border.
“The law is clear that the deadlines to ratify the ERA are long past. Not only is Biden speaking against his own administration’s OLC memo on this issue, but his statement also contradicts all legal decisions coming from the courts. The ERA simply hasn’t weathered the test of time. Its ratification today would unleash a lot of unintended consequences that would, in reality, hurt women and girls.”
Hyde-Smith actively worked to stop an unconstitutional effort in 2023 to have Congress declare the ERA ratified.
Supports Lease Sales in Gulf
U.S. Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.) is cosponsoring legislation to authorize renewed offshore oil and natural gas leasing in American waters, which would be a departure from Biden administration efforts to severely limit future production in the Gulf of Mexico.
The Offshore Energy Security Act of 2025 (S.109), introduced Thursday by U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-La.), requires the U.S. Department of the Interior to hold two offshore oil and gas lease sales per year for 10 years. The legislation is intended to provide greater certainty particularly since 2024 was the first time in 50 years that no lease sales were made in the Gulf of Mexico.
“Offshore energy production in the Gulf of Mexico is vital to our economic and national security,” said Senator Hyde-Smith. “The Offshore Energy Security Act of 2025 will help ensure that our resources are being properly managed to better the lives of Mississippians and the nation by unleashing American energy dominance.”
Both Hyde-Smith and Cassidy serve on the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, which conducted a confirmation hearing for North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum to be the next Secretary of the Interior. Asked by Hyde-Smith about offshore energy production, Burgum said, “Getting lease sales to be regular, predictable, and at a level that allows us to maintain energy production in our country is a minimum standard.”
In addition to mandating sales, S.109 also defines acreage, stipulates lease terms and conditions, defines which previously-finalized environmental reviews will apply to the sales, and ensures that both issued leases and drilling permit applications are not either invalidated, remanded, or delayed as a result of civil litigation. The bill also codifies President Trump’s 2020 memorandum to withdraw the Eastern Gulf of Mexico from leasing for the duration of the legislation.
The bill is also cosponsored by U.S. Senators Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), Katie Britt (R-Ala.) and Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.). The American Petroleum Institute (API), National Ocean Industries Association (NOIA), Gulf Energy Alliance (GEA), and Consumer Energy Alliance (CEA) are among the groups supporting this legislation.
