Native Iñupiat leaders in Alaska are applauding Congress for overturning a Biden-era policy that restricted oil and gas development on over one million acres of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR). The Senate passed a resolution Thursday night using the Congressional Review Act to reverse the 2024 rule, which was enacted by President Joe Biden before leaving office.
The decision is a major win for local Indigenous communities who had long opposed the federal restrictions. The Voice of the Arctic Iñupiat (VOICE), which represents the region’s Native leaders, issued a statement thanking lawmakers for supporting their right to responsible resource development. VOICE noted that the 2024 Record of Decision (ROD) from the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) was finalized without proper legal consultation with tribes and Alaska Native corporations.
“The North Slope Iñupiat have stewarded the region for more than 10,000 years,” said VOICE President & CEO Nagruk Harcharek. “Our communities are cautiously optimistic for the people of Kaktovik following this vote — supported by our local and regional leaders — in our Indigenous homelands.”
The ANWR, established by Congress in 1980, has long been at the center of a heated national debate. While environmentalists argue it must be protected for wildlife, including the migratory Porcupine Caribou herd, local Iñupiat communities and the state of Alaska have consistently supported energy development. In 2017, VOICE’s board unanimously endorsed responsible oil and gas exploration in the region’s coastal plain.
Biden’s attempt to block development in the ANWR reflected his broader push to restrict fossil fuel projects. However, critics argued the administration ignored local voices and jeopardized economic opportunities for Indigenous communities. President Donald Trump, after winning re-election in 2024, took immediate steps to reverse these policies, including reinstating development plans for the Ambler Road project — another major Alaska infrastructure initiative blocked under Biden.
The vote marks a clear break from the Biden administration’s energy agenda. It signals growing momentum for policies that prioritize American energy independence and tribal sovereignty over environmentalist lobbying. Native leaders have expressed hope that Washington will continue listening to those directly affected, rather than imposing top-down regulations.
