Today, the Subcommittee on Indian and Insular Affairs held an oversight hearing on Puerto Rico's electric grid and access to reliable and affordable energy. Subcommittee Chair Harriet Hageman (R-Wyo.) issued the following statement in response: “It has been seven years since hurricanes Irma and Maria, and yet Puerto Rico continues to suffer major power outage incidents with no clear end in sight. ... Read More »
Today, the U.S. House of Representatives passed 13 House Committee on Natural Resources bills, including ones supporting geothermal energy production, bolstering coastal resiliency efforts, managing forests in the Tahoe Basin and more. House Committee on Natural Resources Chairman Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.) issued the following statement in response: “In the final legislative weeks of 2024, House Re... Read More »
Today, the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 8790, the Fix Our Forests Act, sponsored by House Committee on Natural Resources Chairman Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.) and U.S. Rep. Scott Peters (D-Calif.). This historic and bipartisan legislation will spur active forest management in the U.S. and protect rural communities in the wildland-urban interface. “America’s forests are on life support aft... Read More »
Today, the House Committee on Natural Resources held a full committee markup and favorably reported 16 bills. Committee Chairman Bruce Westerman issued the following statement in response: "From long-overdue reforms to the Endangered Species Act to blocking NOAA's extreme vessel speed rule, this committee is continuing to advance legislation that benefits Americans from all walks of life. These bi... Read More »
Today, House Committee on Natural Resources Chairman Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.) and U.S. Rep. Juan Ciscomani (R-Ariz.) introduced the Federal Lands Amplified Security for the Homeland (FLASH) Act to secure federal border lands and protect public lands from the effects of illegal immigration. "America’s southern border has been ravaged by the effects of Border Czar Kamala Harris's failed policies. To... Read More »
This week, House Committee on Natural Resources Chairman Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.), Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations Chairman Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.), House Committee on Education and the Workforce Chairwoman Virginia Foxx (R-N.C.) and Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Development Chairman Burgess Owens (R-Utah) led a follow-up letter to Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland r... Read More »
Today, the Subcommittee on Federal Lands held a legislative hearing on eight bills on priorities that include park access for Gold Star next of kin family members, restoration activities around Lake Tahoe, support for hydroelectric projects and more. Subcommittee Chairman Tom Tiffany (R-Wis.) issued the following statement in response: “From designating a new national park and preserving the legac... Read More »
Today, the National Park Service (NPS) announced the renewal of the lease of Floyd Bennett Field where the Biden-Harris administration erected a so-called “temporary” migrant encampment, citing a state of emergency last August. House Committee on Natural Resources Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.) issued the following statement in response: "In a futile attempt to cover up for their disaster at our souther... Read More »
Today, House Committee on Natural Resources Chairman Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.) led a letter to President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris and senior White House officials, requesting information about the White House’s involvement in the establishment of a migrant encampment on National Park Service (NPS) land at Floyd Bennett Field. In part, the members wrote: "Over the past year, the Commi... Read More »
Today, the House Committee on Natural Resources held a full committee legislative hearing on three bills related to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). House Committee on Natural Resources Chairman Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.) issued the following statement in response: "America's permitting process is broken. Today, we are taking major steps to reform the NEPA process that radical special i... Read More »
Today, the Subcommittee on Indian and Insular Affairs held an oversight hearing on the implementation of the Compacts of Free Association (COFA) Amendments Act of 2024. Presiding Subcommittee Chair Amata Radewagen (R-American Samoa) issued the following statement in response: “Congress’ timely passage of the COFA Amendments Act and successful renewal of the COFA agreements speaks to the U.S. commi... Read More »
Today, House Committee on Natural Resources Chairman Bruce Westerman (R-Ark) and Western Caucus Chairman Dan Newhouse (R-Wash.) introduced the Endangered Species Act Amendments Act of 2024. "We can all agree that America’s rich biodiversity needs to be conserved for generations to come. However, while initially well-intentioned, radical environmentalists have weaponized the Endangered Species Act ... Read More »
Today, the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations held a hearing on the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's (USFWS) investigation into the exportation of wild-caught macaques to the U.S. Subcommittee Chairman Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.) issued the following statement in response: “A troubling report detailing a five-year investigation by the Fish and Wildlife Service provides more questions than answe... Read More »
Today, the Subcommittee on Water, Wildlife and Fisheries held a legislative hearing on five bills that support wildlife conservation, provide local control to certain federal recreational concession areas and promote coastal restoration. Subcommittee Chairman Cliff Bentz (R-Ore.) issued the following statement in response: “The five bills that the Water, Wildlife and Fisheries Subcommittee conside... Read More »
Today, the House Committee on Natural Resources held a field hearing in Santa Nella, Calif., to hear from local witnesses about the water management challenges facing California's Central Valley. “California’s Central Valley is one of the largest agriculture producing regions in the country, producing one-quarter of the food consumed in the United States. Despite this area’s importance to our food... Read More »