July 20, 2026 - The Interior Department is asking a federal court to get rid of consolidated cases challenging the agency’s decision to pause coal leasing in the Powder River Basin, claiming Congressional actions made them obsolete.

The lawsuits aren’t viable since Congress eliminated the challenged decisions through the Congressional Review Act. Republicans’ sweeping 2025 tax law also effectively invalidated the existing prohibition on future coal leasing, the department said in its motion filed with the US District Court for the District of Wyoming.