Biden admin misses major oil lease deadline: 'an absolute disgrace'

The Biden administration did not give an explanation after it missed its own deadline to plan future oil and gas lease sales Thursday.

Interior Secretary Deb Haaland vowed during a Senate hearing on May 19 to issue a legally-mandated program outlining proposed offshore lease sales over the next five years by Thursday. On Wednesday, Interior Department (DOI) spokesperson Melissa Schwartz confirmed the agency was "on track" to issue the plan by Thursday, according to E&E News.

Schwartz declined to comment on the delay in response to a Fox News Digital inquiry. The White House did not respond to a request for comment.

An announcement was slated to take place Thursday, but was pushed back for an unknown reason, administration officials told Reuters on Friday.