Oversight- Obama Moratorium

Mr. President, Where are the Jobs??
Resourceful Information
Jan 25, 2013 - As many media outlets have pointed out, the one issue most notably absent from President Obama’s inaugural address this week was jobs. With unemployment at 7.8 percent and the economy and jobs still topping the list of Americans’ greatest concerns, it’s baffling why the President chose not to mention this in his first ... More

OVERSIGHT: Documents Sought from White House on Decision to Impose Offshore Drilling Moratorium in Gulf
Press Release
Oct 17, 2012 - House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Doc Hastings today sent a letter to White House Chief of Staff Jacob Lew requesting documents and interviews regarding White House officials’ role in the late-night editing of the Interior Department’s Drilling Moratorium Report to make it appear as though the moratorium in th... More

President Obama Confused Between Correlation and Causation of American Energy Production
Press Release
Oct 17, 2012 - “Correlation does not imply causation” is certainly a rule President Obama learned while earning his law degree but something he has all but forgotten when it comes to his Administration’s dismal, job destroying energy policies. President Obama’s failed energy policies might correlate with America’s increase of oil and... More

Chairman Hastings Letter to White House Chief of Staff Jacob Lew Requesting Documents on the Imposition of an Offshore Drilling Moratorium in the Gulf of Mexico
Letters
Oct 17, 2012 - Dear Mr. Lew: Upon taking office, President Obama issued a memorandum to Department and Agency heads entitled “Scientific Integrity” that stated: “The public must be able to trust the science and scientific process informing public policy decisions. Political officials should not suppress or alter scientific or technol... More

Chairman Hastings Correspondence with Former White House Aide Joseph Aldy Regarding Regarding Role in Producing the Gulf Drilling Moratorium Report
Letters
Sep 7, 2012 - Dear Mr. Aldy: On May 27, 2010, the Department of the Interior ("Department") issued a final report entitled "Increased Safety Measures for Energy Development on the Outer Continental Shelf' ("Drilling Moratorium Report") that recommended a moratorium on otlshore oil and gas drilling. The Executive Summary of the Drill... More

Two Department Officials Called to Testify on Edits made to Gulf Drilling Moratorium Report, Issued Subpoenas for Documents
Press Release
Aug 30, 2012 - House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Doc Hastings (WA-04) today sent letters to two Interior Department officials inviting them to appear at a Full Committee hearing on September 13, 2012 to answer questions regarding the Department of the Interior’s Drilling Moratorium Report that was edited to appear as though ... More

Chairman Hastings Invitation Letter to Department of the Interior Officials Neal Kemkar and Mary Katherine Ishee to Testify at Full Committee Oversight Hearing
Letters
Aug 30, 2012 - Dear Mr. Kemkar and Ms. Ishee: On July 18, 2012, you were both invited to voluntarily appear at a planned July 25, 2012 Committee on Natural Resources (“Committee”) hearing regarding the Obama Administration’s decision imposing a Gulf of Mexico drilling moratorium and the drafting and editing of the May 27, 2010 report... More

Chairman Hastings Memorandum Providing Notice to Committee Members that a Subpoena was Issued to Two Officials at the Department of the Interior
Letters
Aug 30, 2012 - August 30, 2012 TO: Members, Committee on Natural Resources FROM: Doc Hastings, Chairman RE: Subpoenas issued I hereby give notice that I have issued a subpoena duces tecum (for documents) to two officials at the Department of the Interior, Neal Kemkar and Mary Katherine Ishee. A copy of the subpoenas may be reviewed i... More

On the Motion to Authorize the Issuance of Subpoenas
Committee Votes
Aug 1, 2012 - On the Motion to Authorize the Issuance of Subpoenas (Passed 26-17. View Roll Call Vote) This motion provided the Chairman of the Natural Resources Committee with authority to issue subpoenas to five specific individuals, and potentially others who have direct knowledge or involvement in the drafting, editing or review... More

Committee Approves Motion Authorizing Chairman to Issue Subpoenas to Compel Obama Administration Witnesses to Appear to Answer Questions on Gulf Drilling Moratorium Report
Press Release
Aug 1, 2012 - Today, the House Natural Resources Committee approved a motion with a 26-17 vote to provide the Chairman with authority to issue subpoenas to five Obama Administration officials and potentially others who have direct knowledge or involvement in the drafting, editing or review of the Department of the Interior Drilling ... More

Chairman Hastings Announces Full Committee Meeting to Consider Motion to Authorize Issuance of Subpoenas
Committee Action
Jul 27, 2012 - On Wednesday, August 1st the Natural Resources Committee will meet to consider a motion to authorize Chairman Hastings to issue subpoenas for five Interior Department officials, and others as may be necessary, to appear before the Committee to give testimony and answer questions. The agenda will also include the markup... More

DOI Acting Inspector General Called to Testify Before Full House Natural Resources Committee
Committee Action
Jul 26, 2012 - House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Doc Hastings (WA-04) today invited the Department of the Interior’s Acting Inspector General Mary Kendall to testify at a Full Committee hearing on Thursday, August 2nd titled “Oversight of the Actions, Independence and Accountability of the Acting Inspector General of the Dep... More

Chairman Hastings Invitation Letter to Interior Department Acting Inspector General to Testify at Full Committee Oversight Hearing
Letters
Jul 26, 2012 - Dear Ms. Kendall: The Committee on Natural Resources will hold an oversight hearing titled “Oversight of the Actions, Independence and Accountability of the Acting Inspector General of the Department of the Interior” on August 2, 2012. The Committee requests your attendance at this hearing to provide testimony and to a... 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

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

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

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

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

Chairman Hastings Follow-up Letter to Secretary Salazar Regarding Committee's Investigation on Drilling Moratorium Documents and Setting Deadline to Interview Officials
Letters
Jul 6, 2012 - Dear Mr. Secretary: For more than a year, the Department of the Interior ("Department") has consistently refused to provide documents and information that would allow Congress to conduct a thorough and independent review of the Obama Administration's decision imposing a Gulf of Mexico drilling moratorium and its drafti... 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

Chairman Hastings Letter to Acting Inspector General Mary Kendall Regarding Drilling Moratorium Documents and Committee's Investigation
Letters
May 10, 2012 - Dear Ms. Kendall: Thank you for meeting with me recently to discuss your response to the April 12, 2012 subpoena for documents related to the Office of Inspector General's ("IG") investigation into the May 27, 2010 Department of the Interior ("Department") report entitled, "Increased Safety Measures for Energy Developm... More

NATURAL RESOURCES COMMITTEE

Oversight- Obama Moratorium