Sen. Bill Sharer (R-San Jaun) issued a statement recently claiming the $3.5 trillion spending bill proposed by Congressional Democrats and the White House will jeopardize Navajo Nation tribal members, calling out the administration for what he dubbed its harmful and alarming policies. 

In the statement issued Oct. 1, Sharer opposed a policy banning drilling outside Chaco Culture National Historic Park in Northwest New Mexico, urging President Joe Biden, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and New Mexico’s Democratic leaders in Washington to visit the state before approving policies that jeopardize the wellbeing of tribal members. 

“When transparency goes to the wind, so does our democracy," Sharer said in a statement. "This behemoth of a bill is intended to hide the priorities of well-connected special interest groups and omit the concerns of key stakeholders. It is shameful that these out-of-touch politicians would rather rush their radical, progressive agenda through, than consult with the people they claim to represent.”

Sen. William E. Sharer

The proposed drilling ban has led the Navajo Nation Council to issue a letter to Congressional leaders, calling the ban a “real threat” to the livelihood of its members. 

In the letter, the council asks Pelosi and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy to hold a field hearing in Nageezi, N.M., before moving forward in approving any language that prohibits "new oil and gas development”, according to the Washington Times.

According to the report, House Natural Resources Committee Democratic Chairman Raul Grijalva sponsored an amendment, nullifying inactive leases within a 10-mile buffer surrounding the park and banning drilling from within the park. This gained support from All Pueblo Council of Governors; however, the Navajo Nation Council instead advocated for a five-mile zone, the Washington Times states.