News List

House Rejects President Obama's Offshore Plan, Embraces Bipartisan Replacement to Create American Jobs with New American Energy
Press Release
Jul 25, 2012 - Today, the House of Representatives, by a bipartisan vote of 164-261 rejected H.R. 6168, a bill to implement President Obama’s offshore drilling plan that places 85 percent of America’s offshore energy resources under lock-and-key. In a separate bipartisan vote of 253-170, the House approved H.R. 6082, to replace Presi... More

Hastings: President's Offshore Drilling Plan is a Giant Step Backwards for American Energy Production and Job Creation
Floor Statements
Jul 25, 2012 - House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Doc Hastings (WA-04) delivered the following opening statement on the House floor today on H.R. 6018, President Obama’s Job-Limiting, Energy-Restricting Offshore Plan. “The bill we are now considering, HR 6168, is a very simple bill. It would implement President Obama’s propos... More

Chairman Hastings' Floor Statement on the Congressional Replacement of President Obama's No-New-Drilling, No-New-Jobs Offshore Plan
Floor Statements
Jul 24, 2012 - House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Doc Hastings (WA-04) delivered the following opening statement on the House floor today in support of H.R. 6082, the Congressional Replacement of President Obama’s Energy-Restricting and Job-Limiting Offshore Drilling Plan. “Under the shadow of the Supreme Court’s ruling on Ob... More

Decision Time: House to Take Direct Votes on Both President Obama's Proposed Offshore Leasing Plan and Bipartisan Replacement Plan to Boost American Energy and Jobs
Press Release
Jul 24, 2012 - Tomorrow, the House of Representatives will vote on two distinct visions for America’s energy future: 1) H.R. 6168, “President Obama’s Proposed 2012-2017 Offshore Drilling Lease Sale Plan Act”, which locks-away 85 percent of America’s offshore from energy production and reimposes the pre-2008 offshore moratoria, or 2) ... More

Interior Department Defies Subpoena for Documents and Now Refuses to Commit Witnesses to Attend Hearing to Answer Questions on Gulf Drilling Moratorium
Press Release
Jul 24, 2012 - The Department of the Interior has refused to confirm that it will make available five Department officials invited to testify and answer questions at a Full Committee hearing on Wednesday regarding the May 2010 Interior Department action to impose a six-month drilling moratorium in the Gulf of Mexico and the Departmen... More

Chairman Hastings' Op-Ed in The Hill: President Obama's offshore drilling plan must be replaced
Op-Eds and Speeches
Jul 23, 2012 - President Obama’s offshore drilling plan must be replaced By: House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Doc Hastings The Hill July 23, 2012 While the American people and news media were distracted by the Supreme Court’s decision on Obamacare, the Obama Administration quietly released its final proposed offshore drill... More

Committee Approves Bipartisan Job-Creating Energy Bill to Replace President Obama's No-New-Jobs, No-New-Energy Offshore Plan
Press Release
Jul 18, 2012 - Today, the House Natural Resources Committee approved by a bipartisan 24-17 vote, H.R. 6082, the Congressional Replacement of President Obama’s Energy-Restricting and Job-Limiting Offshore Drilling Plan. The bill would replace the Obama Administration’s final offshore drilling plan, which keeps 85 percent of America’s ... More

Interior Department Officials Called to Publicly Answer Questions on Gulf Drilling Moratorium at Full Committee Hearing
Committee Action
Jul 18, 2012 - On Wednesday, July 25th the Committee on Natural Resources will hold an oversight hearing on “Investigation of President Obama’s Gulf Drilling Moratorium: Questioning of Key Department of the Interior Officials.” Due to the Department of the Interior’s failure to comply with an official Congressional subpoena issued in... More

Chairman Hastings Invitation Letter to Interior Department Officials to Testify at Full Committee Gulf Drilling Moratorium Oversight Hearing
Letters
Jul 18, 2012 - Dear Mr. Black / Mr. Kemkar / Ms. Ishee / Mr. Cruickshank / Ms. Hanley: The Committee on Natural Resources will hold an oversight hearing on July 25, 2012 to continue the ongoing investigation into the circumstances surrounding 1) how a decision was made by the Obama Administration to impose a drilling moratorium in th... More

How Many Times Can the New York Times Get it Wrong?
Hot Air Alert
Jul 16, 2012 - On Sunday, the New York Times Editorial Board rushed to the defense of President Obama who’s feeling the pressure this election season for proposing an offshore drilling plan that keeps 85 percent of America’s offshore areas off-limits to energy production. The President’s plan, under law, is currently undergoing a man... More

After Interior Department Fails to Agree to Transcribed Interviews, Hastings States Intent to Call Officials to Testify at Drilling Moratorium Hearing
Press Release
Jul 16, 2012 - House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Doc Hastings (WA-04) on Friday, July 13 sent a letter to Department of the Interior Secretary Ken Salazar regarding the Committee’s request for transcribed interviews with five Department officials who were personally involved in developing the May 2010 Interior Department rep... More

President Obama Takes No-New-Energy, No-New-Jobs Tour of Virginia
Hot Air Alert
Jul 13, 2012 - Just two weeks ago, President Obama released his five year offshore no-new-energy plan that closes 85 percent of America’s offshore areas to new energy production, opens no new areas to drilling and sidelines over a million jobs. Today, the President is making multiple campaign stops throughout the Commonwealth of Virg... More

Chairman Hastings and Ranking Member Lisa Murkowski Send Letters to BSEE Director Watson and NOAA Administrator Lubchenco on Greenpeace Protests in Arctic
Letters
Jul 13, 2012 - Dear Mr. Watson: Greenpeace is pledging to impede planned exploratory drilling operations in arctic waters off the north coast of Alaska this summer. A protest fleet, including a 216-foot ice class ship, two large rigid hull and four small inflatables, two submarines, and a drone is reportedly en route to participate i... More

Chairman Hastings Letter to Secretary Salazar Stating Intent to Call Officials to Testify at Full Committee Gulf Drilling Moratorium Oversight Hearing
Letters
Jul 13, 2012 - Dear Mr. Secretary: In a July 6, 2012, letter, the Department of the Interior (“Department”) was provided a final opportunity to establish by the close of business on July 12, 2012 a mutually agreed upon schedule for transcribed interviews of five Department officials by Committee on Natural Resources (“Committee”) maj... More

Committee to Markup Plan to Replace President Obama's Energy-Restricting and Job-Limiting Offshore Drilling Plan
Press Release
Jul 9, 2012 - House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Doc Hastings (WA-04) today unveiled draft legislation, H.R. 6082, the Congressional Replacement of President Obama’s Energy-Restricting and Job-Limiting Offshore Drilling Plan, to implement a new lease plan for developing the United States’ offshore energy resources over the n... More

INVESTIGATION: Deadline Set on Request to Interview Interior Department Officials Involved in Drilling Moratorium Report
Press Release
Jul 6, 2012 - Today, as part of a more than yearlong investigation into the Obama Administration decision to impose a drilling moratorium in the Gulf of Mexico through a report that was edited in a manner that misrepresented that the moratorium was supported by a panel of engineering experts, Natural Resources Committee Chairman Doc... More

President Obama's Offshore Energy Negligence
Hot Air Alert
Jul 2, 2012 - When is something so bad that it’s worse than the biggest tax increase in American history? When it’s the Obama Administration’s final plan for offshore energy development. In fact, you can’t even really call it a plan—it’s the opposite of a plan; it’s negligence. The Obama plan neglects new job creation, new American ... More

Chairman Hastings Statement on Transportation Bill Conference Report
Press Release
Jun 29, 2012 - House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Doc Hastings (WA-04) released the following statement regarding the Conference Report on H.R. 4348 – the Surface Transportation Extension: “This agreement includes several important, common sense measures to help create new American jobs, cut government red tape and provide th... More

Chairman Hastings: Obama Administration Closes Majority of OCS to Offshore Energy Production
Press Release
Jun 28, 2012 - House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Doc Hastings (WA-04) released the following statement after the Obama Administration issued the 2012-2017 offshore lease plan that closes 85 percent of America’s offshore areas to energy production. “The Obama Administration has neglected their duty to provide a roadmap for Am... More

Chairman Hastings: Administration's Delay of Offshore Lease Sale Shows Obama Not Serious About Job Creation or Energy Production
Press Release
Jun 20, 2012 - As House Republicans begin consideration today of the Domestic Energy and Jobs Act, a bill to increase onshore energy production, create jobs and cut government red tape, the Obama Administration is desperately trying to prove that it supports American energy by finally holding a President Bush-era Gulf of Mexico lease... More

Acting Inspector General for Interior Department Questioned on Role in Producing Report that Recommended Gulf Drilling Moratorium
Press Release
May 23, 2012 - House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Doc Hastings (WA-04) yesterday sent a letter to the Department of the Interior’s Acting Inspector General (IG) Mary Kendall to question her about discrepancies between her testimony before the Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources and documents recently provided to the ... More

USA Today: Interior inspector defends impartiality in report probe
In Case You Missed It
May 23, 2012 - Interior inspector defends impartiality in report probe By: Gregory Korte USA Today May 23, 2012 When questions came up about how the White House edited an Interior Department report to justify a moratorium on offshore drilling, acting Inspector General Mary Kendall investigated and reported back to Congress only that... More

Chairman Hastings Letter to Acting Inspector General Mary Kendall Regarding Role in Producing the Gulf Drilling Moratorium Report
Letters
May 22, 2012 - Dear Ms. Kendall: As you know, the Committee on Natural Resources ("Committee") has for almost two years been seeking information about how a May 27, 2010 Department of the Interior ("Department") report entitled "Increased Safety Measures for Energy Development on the Outer Continental Shelf" ("Drilling Moratorium Rep... More

Chairman Hastings: Documents Raise Serious Questions about Thoroughness and Independence of Inspector General's Investigation into Drilling Moratorium Report
Press Release
May 10, 2012 - House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Doc Hastings (WA-04) today sent a letter to Department of the Interior’s Acting Inspector General Mary Kendall expressing deep concern with the thoroughness of the Office of Inspector General’s (IG) investigation into whether an Obama Administration report that recommended a s... More

50 Billion Barrels of Oil Not Enough for Obama Administration to Stop Playing Politics with America's Energy Security
Hot Air Alert
May 9, 2012 - Apparently, an offshore oil find that would more than double America’s current proven oil reserves still wouldn’t be enough for the Obama Administration to stop playing politics with America’s energy security. Channeling his best auctioneer chant, Rep. Louie Gohmert (TX-01) gave Bureau of Ocean Energy Management Direct... More

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