Overview

• The Senate approved H.J.Res.104 on a 52–47 vote after earlier House passage, sending the measure to the president for signature.
• The Biden-era Miles City plan barred new federal coal leases on about 1.7 million acres, leaving only existing mines like Rosebud and Spring Creek active in a region that produced about 43% of U.S. coal in 2019.
• Using the Congressional Review Act not only nullifies the BLM amendment but also prohibits the agency from issuing a substantially similar rule in the future.
• A 2024 Congressional Research Service report shows CRA rollbacks are uncommon, with only about 20 rules overturned since 1996.
• Montana Republicans including Sens. Steve Daines and Tim Sheehy and Reps. Troy Downing and Ryan Zinke backed the reversal as a boost for jobs and revenue, while Earthjustice criticized Congress for short-circuiting an ongoing public land-use process.