As the cost of gasoline and energy continues to surge at an alarming rate, a study released today confirms what Natural Resources Republicans have been saying since day one: the Obama Administration is going out of its way to block and delay American energy production. According to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce study, there are hundreds of American energy projects that have been delayed or stalled by regulatory barriers. These delays are costing the American economy $1.1 trillion in GDP and 1.9 million jobs annually. House Republicans continue to call on the President to end his assault on Amer... Read More »
Hastings to Lead the Way on Gas-Price Debate by Amy Harder National Journal Sunday, March 6, 2011 Brendan Hoffman/Getty Images Hastings: Likely to push for more drilling. The higher oil prices get, the more prominent Rep. Doc Hastings becomes. The Republican chairs the House Natural Resources Committee and represents a conservative district in eastern Washington state. From that perch, he has become the mouthpiece for the GOP’s antagonism toward President Obama’s oil and gas policy. That hostility is alive and well in both chambers of Congress, but it has taken a back seat to efforts within th... Read More »
Yesterday, during a Natural Resources Committee hearing on the Administration’s “Wild Lands” order, Chairman Doc Hastings asked Idaho Governor Butch Otter and Utah Governor Gary Herbert if families have better job opportunities in areas subject to Wilderness restrictions. Not surprising, the answer is no. See what the Governors had to say about the impacts of this “Wild Lands” order on jobs and the economy. Watch below: Read More »
As America’s dependence on foreign oil is highlighted by increased gasoline prices due to political unrest in North Africa and the Middle East, a newly released study confirms what Natural Resources Republicans have been telling President Obama for two years: Increased American energy production creates jobs, increases American energy security and helps reduce our national debt. Specifically, the study found the following production potential in Alaska’s Arctic outer continental shelf (OCS): 10 billion barrels of oil 15 trillion cubic feet of natural gas 55,000 new jobs $145 billion in new pay... Read More »
Chairman Doc Hastings and Energy and Minerals Subcommittee Chairman Doug Lamborn sent the following letter to Gulf State Committee Members today notifying them of the Committee’s intention to hold upcoming hearings on the President’s de facto drilling moratorium and the slow-walking of permits. The letter specifically highlights the following new upcoming Committee activities: March 16th - Full Committee hearing with testimony from impacted States, communities, and local businesses March 30th - Full Committee hearing with Michael Bromwich, Director of the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOE... Read More »
Read this recent interview in The Tribal Business Journal where Chairman Doc Hastings answers questions on the establishment of the Subcommittee on Indian and Alaska Native Affairs and other important Indian and Native issues. The interview below is an excerpt from the Tribal Business Journal February 2011 issue: Q: In General. First, congratulations to you and the incoming Republican majority in the House of Representatives. As the Chairman of the Committee on Natural Resources, what will your priorities be for the 112th Congress? A: This past November, the American people sent a clear messag... Read More »
GOP lawmakers demand repeal of wilderness policy January 31, 2011 E&E News Phil Taylor Nearly 60 Republican lawmakers, mostly from the West, on Friday asked Interior Secretary Ken Salazar to rescind a new policy that directs field managers to inventory and protect wilderness-quality lands, arguing that it would significantly affect rural economies. In a letter from the Western caucuses of both chambers, the members of Congress warned that Interior's decision to announce the policy after last month's recess and without congressional input threatens future wilderness cooperation and sows public ... Read More »
Greater New Orleans, Inc. recently released a Gulf Permit Index (GPI) that shows the Obama Administration is in no hurry to issue drilling permits in the Gulf of Mexico and end the de facto moratorium that has left thousands of Americans out of work. GNO, Inc. found that to date only two deep water permits have been issued since the deep water drilling moratorium was officially listed last October. In addition, shallow water permit approvals have been far below average since the Deepwater Horizon incident last summer. Every day America’s drilling rig platforms sit idle in the Gulf, 80,000 barr... Read More »
Chairman Doc Hastings sat down with Platts Energy Week to discuss Wednesday’s oversight hearing with the President’s National Oil Spill Commission Co-Chairs William Reilly and Bob Graham. The hearing is expected to focus on the Commission’s findings into the causes of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, the on-going federal response and recommendations to keep America’s offshore energy production the safest in the world. Chairman Hastings told Platts, “This has been a long, anticipated report. I mean, obviously the American public remembers the spill and the consequences. A lot of work has gone i... Read More »
Today House Republicans will make history by live streaming the opening session of the 112th Congress - including the swearing-in ceremony and remarks by Speaker-designate John Boehner (R-OH) - on the Internet. The House will convene and the stream will go live at 12:00 p.m. ET. House Republican leadership will broadcast the stream live on the Pledge to America Facebook page. The Natural Resources Committee will also broadcast the live stream on their blog and their Facebook page. We encourage you to log-on and watch the events as they unfold. The new Republican majority has pledged to change ... Read More »
