Press Release

Chairman Hastings Announces New Committee Communications Staff
Press Release
Apr 9, 2013 - House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Doc Hastings (WA-04) today announced new staff in the Committee’s communications office: Mike Tadeo will serve as the Press Secretary for the Full Committee. Mike worked as the Communications Director for Congressman Bill Johnson of Ohio, a valued former Member of the Committe... More

Documents Requested on Interior Department’s Decision to Close Drakes Bay Oyster Company
Press Release
Apr 5, 2013 - House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Doc Hastings (WA – 04) sent letters today to U.S. Department of the Interior Secretary Ken Salazar and Department of the Interior Deputy Inspector General Mary Kendall seeking information about the Administration’s decision to not allow the continued operation of the Drakes Ba... More

Chairman Hastings Unveils Draft Proposal to Restore Active Forest Management and Help Rural Schools & Counties
Press Release
Apr 3, 2013 - House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Doc Hastings (WA-04) today unveiled a draft proposal to address the expiration of the Secure Rural Schools (SRS) program. The draft proposal, Restoring Healthy Forests for Healthy Communities Act, renews the federal government’s commitment to manage forest resources for the be... More

31 Bipartisan Members Send Letter Questioning Obama Admin’s Retroactive Sequestration Cuts to SRS Payments used for Rural Schools and Emergency Services
Press Release
Mar 28, 2013 - House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Doc Hastings (WA-04) and a bipartisan group of 30 Members of Congress sent a letter today to U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and Office of Management and Budget Director Jeffrey Zients questioning why the Obama Administration is retroactively subjecting Se... More

Chairman Hastings Disappointed in Lack of Transparency at DOI, Renews Request for Info on Job Destroying Coal Regulation
Press Release
Mar 27, 2013 - House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Doc Hastings (WA-04) today sent a letter to Department of the Interior Secretary Ken Salazar expressing disappointment at the Department’s lack of transparency and failure to respond to the Committee’s legitimate oversight questions surrounding OSM’s bizarre decision to rewrit... More

Chairman Hastings Joins Calls for Obama Administration to Fully Delist Gray Wolf
Press Release
Mar 25, 2013 - House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Doc Hastings (WA-04), Senator Orin Hatch (UT), Senator John Barrasso and Rep. Cynthia Lummis (WY) today, along with 68 other Members of Congress, sent a bipartisan, bicameral letter to U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) Director Dan Ashe urging support for the delisting of... More

Chairman Hastings’ Statement on President Obama’s Plan to Use Antiquities Act to Unilaterally Designate Five New National Monuments
Press Release
Mar 22, 2013 - House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Doc Hastings (WA-04) released the following statement after President Obama announced his intentions to unilaterally designate five new National Monuments using presidential powers granted under the 1906 Antiquities Act. “The Obama Administration not only sees the sequester as... More

Chairman Hastings’ Statement on Obama Administration’s New Regulations to Discourage U.S. Oil Shale Production
Press Release
Mar 22, 2013 - House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Doc Hastings (WA-04) released the following statement after Department of the Interior Secretary Ken Salazar announced onerous new government red tape that will discourage production of 1.5 trillion barrels of American oil shale. “Since taking office, President Obama has stall... More

Subcommittee Hears Testimony on Importance of Increased Mining and Mineral Production for Job Creation, Economic Growth
Press Release
Mar 21, 2013 - Today, the Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources held an oversight hearing on “America’s Mineral Resources: Creating Mining and Manufacturing Jobs and Securing America,” combined with a legislative hearing on seven mining bills that will create jobs, streamline government red-tape, and make America less dependen... More

Chairman Hastings: GOP’s Balanced Budget Promotes New American Energy Production
Press Release
Mar 21, 2013 - House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Doc Hastings (WA-04) released the following statement after passage of the Republican Budget Resolution: “House Republicans today passed a responsible, balanced budget that will grow our economy, cut wasteful government spending and help create new American jobs. The Republica... More

Obama Administration to Retroactively Subject Secure Rural School Payments to Sequestration Cuts
Press Release
Mar 20, 2013 - House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Doc Hastings (WA-04) released the following statement after the U.S. Forest Service announced that Secure Rural School (SRS) payments, which went out to counties in January, will be subjected to sequestration cuts: “Several months before President Obama’s sequester was schedul... More

Committee Approves Bill to Generate New, Clean Hydropower, Create Jobs, and Streamline Government Red-Tape
Press Release
Mar 20, 2013 - Today, the House Natural Resources Committee passed H.R. 678, the “Bureau of Reclamation Small Conduit Hydropower Development and Rural Jobs Act,” with a bipartisan vote of 17-12. Sponsored by Rep. Scott Tipton (CO-03), the legislation creates new American jobs and expands production of clean, renewable hydropower by c... More

Committee Approves Bipartisan Bill to Prevent Global Helium Shortage, Protect American Jobs
Press Release
Mar 20, 2013 - Today, the House Natural Resources Committee passed H.R. 527, the “Responsible Helium Administration and Stewardship Act”, with a bipartisan amendment, by a voice vote. The bipartisan legislation, introduced by Natural Resources Committee Chairman Doc Hastings (WA-04) and Ranking Member Ed Markey (MA-05), applies free-... More

Eisenhower Family, Expert Witnesses Support Chairman Bishop’s Bill to Complete Eisenhower Memorial with Appropriate Design, Process
Press Release
Mar 19, 2013 - Today the Subcommittee on Public Lands and Environmental Regulation held a legislative hearing on H.R. 1126, the “Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial Completion Act.” The legislation introduced by Public Lands and Environmental Regulation Subcommittee Chairman Rob Bishop (UT-01) implements a new design competition and provid... More

Bipartisan House Bill Reintroduced to Establish Manhattan Project National Historical Park
Press Release
Mar 15, 2013 - House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Doc Hastings (WA-04), Congressman Chuck Fleischmann (TN-03), and Congressman Ben Luján (NM-03) today introduced bipartisan legislation (H.R. 1208) in the House of Representatives to establish a Manhattan Project National Historical Park that will encompass facilities in Hanfor... More

Chairman Hastings Reintroduces Legislation to Keep Cabin Fees Fair and Affordable
Press Release
Mar 14, 2013 - House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Doc Hastings (WA-04) today introduced H.R. 1159, The Cabin Fee Act of 2013. The bill, which was passed by the House last year, would establish a fair, predictable fee-setting system for families who own cabins in our National Forests. Cabin owners have recently been faced with... More

Local Business Owners Thankful for Job Creation Benefits of American Energy Production on Private and State Lands
Press Release
Mar 14, 2013 - Today, the Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources held an oversight hearing on “America’s Onshore Energy Resources: Creating Jobs, Securing America, and Lowering Prices.” The hearing was an opportunity to hear from witnesses who own and operate businesses that have benefited from increased production of American ... More

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

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

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