Press Releases

Documents Requested on Whether Interior Department and Inspector General are Actively Pursuing Ethics Investigations
Press Release
Mar 14, 2013 - House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Doc Hastings (WA-04) today sent a letter to Department of the Interior Secretary Ken Salazar seeking further information on the operations and activities of the Department’s Ethics Office. For the past year, the Committee has conducted oversight of how political appointees and... More

Chairman Hastings: Republican Plan Balances Budget, Recognizes Importance of American Energy Production
Press Release
Mar 12, 2013 - House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Doc Hastings (WA-04) released the following statement on the Republican budget released today by Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan: “House Republicans’ plan would balance the budget in 10 years, without raising taxes, by making smart reforms to support job creation and econo... More

Chairman Hastings Questions Interior Department on Potentially Economically Devastating Sage-Grouse Endangered Species Listing
Press Release
Mar 7, 2013 - House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Doc Hastings (WA-04) today sent a letter to Department of the Interior Secretary Ken Salazar and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Director Dan Ashe raising concerns of scientific integrity and the imposition of arbitrary deadlines surrounding the decision to potentially list the sage-gr... More

Bipartisan Hydropower Bills Streamline Red Tape to Create Jobs; Produce New, Clean Electricity
Press Release
Mar 5, 2013 - Today, the House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Water and Power held a legislative hearing on H.R. 678, the “Bureau of Reclamation Small Conduit Hydropower Development and Rural Jobs Act,” and H.R. 254, the "Bonneville Unit Clean Hydropower Facilitation Act.” Both bills are bipartisan plans to create new American jo... More

Witnesses: Increased Offshore Oil, Natural Gas, Wind Production Creates Thousands of Jobs, Grows Economy
Press Release
Mar 5, 2013 - The Energy and Mineral Resources Subcommittee held an oversight hearing today on “America’s Offshore Energy Resources: Creating Jobs, Securing America, and Lowering Prices.” The hearing focused on the significant economic growth that increased production of offshore oil, natural gas and wind energy. “In light of record... More

The Offshore Energy Economy President Obama Doesn’t Want: Increased Offshore Energy Production = More Jobs, Bigger Economy, Lower Prices
Resourceful Information
Mar 5, 2013 - Ever since taking office, President Obama has erected barriers to increased offshore American energy production and systematically closed off new areas to drilling. Study after study has shown that increased offshore energy production will create jobs, grow the economy, lower prices and provide significant revenues to ... More

Chairman Hastings Renews Request for Information from Secretary Chu on Memo that Could Increase Electricity Rates on 40 Million Americans
Press Release
Feb 28, 2013 - House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Doc Hastings (WA-04) today followed up on his previous request to Department of Energy Secretary Steven Chu for detailed documents and communications related to the issuance of Chu’s March 16, 2012, Memorandum (Memorandum) to the Power Marketing Administrations (PMAs). Last Co... More

Chairman Hastings Statement on FWS Extension of Public Comment for Lesser Prairie Chicken ESA Designation
Press Release
Feb 28, 2013 - House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Doc Hastings (WA-04) today released the following statement after receiving a partial response from U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Director Dan Ashe to his February 7th request for an extended public comment period for Lesser Prairie Chicken designation under the Endangered Sp... More

Chairman Hastings Statement on the Violence Against Women Act
Press Release
Feb 28, 2013 - House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Doc Hastings (WA-04) released the following statement on the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA): “During my service in Congress representing Central Washington, I have always voted to renew the Violence Against Women Act. As a husband, a father, and a grandfather, I strongly be... More

U.S. Dependence on Middle East Oil Increases Under President Obama While Federal Oil and Natural Gas Production Decline
Hot Air Alert
Feb 28, 2013 - The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) yesterday released disturbing new data that shows the United States has been increasing its dependence on oil from one of the most unstable regions in the world. Middle Eastern oil now accounts for more than 25 percent of American oil imports—a nine year high that has co... More

State Forests Management Superior to Federal Forests for Job Creation, Revenue Production, Local Economies and Fire Prevention
Press Release
Feb 26, 2013 - Today the House Subcommittee on Public Lands and Environmental Regulation held a hearing examining, “State Forest Management: A Model for Promoting Healthy Forests, Rural Schools and Jobs.” The hearing was an opportunity to hear from state leaders, local land managers and timber experts on the inadequacies and burdens ... More

Amid Renewed Lawsuits, Chairman Hastings Calls on Obama Administration to Answer Questions on Job Destroying Coal Regulation
Press Release
Feb 22, 2013 - House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Doc Hastings (WA-04) today sent a letter to Department of the Interior Secretary Ken Salazar to follow up on a more than two and a half year investigation into the Obama Administration’s decision to throw out the 2008 Stream Buffer Zone coal regulation, and write a new regulat... More

Hastings, Lucas, Peterson Praise Federal Court Ruling on NOAA’s Salmon Opinion
Press Release
Feb 22, 2013 - In a major victory for American agriculture, the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals issued a landmark ruling Thursday in the case Dow AgroSciences LLC v. National Marine Fisheries Service reaffirming that government decision-making must be based on science and not the misguided agenda of activist groups. House Natural Resour... More

Chairman Hastings Receives “Water Warrior” Award, Delivers Keynote Speech at Family Farm Alliance Annual Conference
Press Release
Feb 22, 2013 - House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Doc Hastings (WA-04) today received the “Water Warrior” award from the Family Farm Alliance at their annual conference. The Family Farm Alliance is an advocate for family farmers, ranchers, irrigation districts, and allied industries in seventeen Western states. The award is g... More

President Obama’s American Energy Logic: Block Energy Production in Area Specifically Established for Energy Production
Press Release
Feb 21, 2013 - House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Doc Hastings (WA-04) today released the following statement after the Department of the Interior finalized plans to lock up the majority of the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska (NPR-A) from energy production. “As gasoline prices continue to increase for the 34th day in a row,... More

Chairman Hastings Calls for President Obama to Appoint Permanent Inspector General for the Department of the Interior
Press Release
Feb 21, 2013 - House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Doc Hastings (WA-04) today wrote to President Obama requesting that he nominate a permanent Inspector General for the Department of the Interior. Since the Department’s previous Inspector General Earl Devaney was appointed to a new position nearly four years ago, the Departmen... More

Witnesses Agree on Swift Action To Reform Federal Helium Program, Save Tens of Thousands of Jobs
Press Release
Feb 14, 2013 - The House Natural Resources Committee today held a Full Committee hearing entitled, The Past, Present and Future of the Federal Helium Program, which focused on H.R. 527, the “Responsible Helium Administration and Stewardship Act,” bipartisan legislation that applies free-market principals to prevent a global helium sh... More

Under President Obama’s Leadership, Permits to Drill on Federal Lands Take 30 Percent Longer to Approve
Hot Air Alert
Feb 13, 2013 - During last night’s State of the Union, President Obama claimed his Administration has been actively working to speed up Applications for Permits to Drill (APDs) for energy producers on federal lands: “That’s why my Administration will keep cutting red tape and speeding up new oil and gas permits.” But facts are stubbo... More

Chairman Hastings' Statement on the President's State of the Union Address
Press Release
Feb 12, 2013 - House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Doc Hastings (WA-04) tonight released the following statement in response to President Barack Obama’s State of the Union address: “During tonight’s State of the Union address, the President once again spoke about job creation and economic growth, but continued to ignore the ec... More

Chairman Hastings Joins Letter Urging Extended Comment Period for Locals on Lesser Prairie-Chicken ESA Designation
Press Release
Feb 7, 2013 - House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Doc Hastings (WA-04), joined House Agriculture Committee Chairman Frank Lucas (OK-03), Rep. Randy Neubebauer (TX-19), and six other members of Congress in sending a letter to U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services (FWS) Director Dan Ashe calling on him to promptly approve state and l... More

Subcommittee Chairman Bishop Leads Request for Comprehensive Analysis of NEPA’s Costs and Regulatory Burdens on Taxpayers
Press Release
Feb 7, 2013 - House Natural Resources Public Lands and Environmental Regulation Subcommittee Chairman Rob Bishop (UT-01), along with Natural Resources Committee Chairman Doc Hastings (WA-04), Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Fred Upton (MI-06), Armed Services Committee Chairman Howard “Buck” McKeon (CA-25), and Transportation ... More

Chairman Hastings Introduces Free-Market Plan to Prevent Global Helium Shortage, Provide Taxpayers Fair Return on Helium Sales
Press Release
Feb 6, 2013 - House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Doc Hastings (R-WA), along with Ranking Member Ed Markey (D-MA), Rep. Bill Flores (R-TX) and Rep. Rush Holt (D-NJ), today introduced H.R. 527, The Responsible Helium Administration and Stewardship Act. This bipartisan legislation would prevent the closure of the Federal Helium... More

Chairman Hastings Reaction to Nomination of Sally Jewell as Secretary of the Interior
Press Release
Feb 6, 2013 - House Natural Resources Chairman Doc Hastings (WA-04) released the following statement on President Obama’s nomination of Recreational Equipment Inc., “REI” CEO Sally Jewell to be Secretary of the Interior. “The Secretary of the Interior should be an advocate for protecting and actively harnessing our Nation’s lands an... More

Chairman Hastings Statement on Report Detailing Economic Benefits of Energy Production on Federal Lands
Press Release
Feb 5, 2013 - House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Doc Hastings (WA-04) released the following statement after reviewing Dr. Joseph R. Mason’s report on the “Economic Effects of Immediately Opening Federal Lands to Oil and Gas Leasing: A Response to the Congressional Budget Office.” The report projects significant growth in jo... More

Chairman Hastings Statement on the Obama Administration’s Proposed Listing of the Wolverine
Press Release
Feb 1, 2013 - House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Doc Hastings (WA-04) today issued the following statement regarding U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service’s proposal to list the wolverine as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act. The wolverine was one of hundreds of species included in a 2011 settlement agreement betw... More

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