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Congress Seeks Answers from BLM on Postponement of Recent Oil and Gas Lease Sales

| Posted in Press Release

Today, fifteen Congressmen sent a letter to Janice Schneider, Assistant Secretary at the U.S. Department of the Interior, expressing serious concerns with the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) repeated postponement of lease sales.  In particular, the Members raised concerns about the appearance of significant influence from special interest and environmental groups, which prompted…

Subcommittee Holds Hearing on Bipartisan Mining Reform Legislation in an Underground Mining Classroom

| Posted in Press Release

Today, the Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources held a legislative field hearing in Idaho Springs, Colorado on H.R. 3734, the “Mining Schools Enhancement Act,” introduced by Rep. Cresent Hardy (R-NV). This bill, in combination with H.R. 3843 (Rep. Doug Lamborn (R-CO)), the “Locatable Minerals Claim Location and Maintenance Fees Act,” and H.R. 3844 (Rep. Jody Hice (R-GA)), the…

Bishop: Senate Passage of Tribal Energy Development Bill Lays Path Forward for Final Package

| Posted in Press Release

Yesterday the Senate passed S. 209, the “Indian Tribal Energy Development and Self-Determination Act Amendments of 2015,” a bill similar to H.R. 538, the “Native American Energy Act” that passed the House on October 8, 2015.  Chairman Rob Bishop (R-UT) released the following statement: “I am pleased the Senate has followed suit and acted on legislation to alleviate barriers that…

Committee Requests Documents from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on Peer Review Process of DOI’s Animas Report

| Posted in Press Release

At yesterday’s oversight hearing on the Department of the Interior’s (DOI) Role in the EPA’s Animas Spill, both Republicans and Democrats on the Committee raised numerous questions about the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ (USACE) involvement with the peer review process of the Bureau of Reclamation’s (BOR) study on the EPA’s Animas spill, particularly in light of USACE’s technical…

Bishop Requests GAO Investigate Interior’s Obstructionist Tactics on Gold King Mine Spill

| Posted in Press Release

Following the oversight hearing on the Department of the Interior’s (DOI) Role in the EPA’s Animas Spill where Secretary Sally Jewell testified but failed to substantively answer the Committee’s questions, Chairman Rob Bishop (R-UT) requested an independent review from the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) about the scope, objectivity, and thoroughness of the DOI report,…

Committee Questions the Interior Department’s Lack of Transparency and Objectivity in Animas Spill Response

| Posted in Press Release

During the Committee’s oversight hearing on the Department of the Interior’s (DOI) Role in the EPA’s Animas Spill, Committee members raised concerns about the DOI’s response to the spill, the lack of transparency and objectivity and the narrow scope of the Bureau of Reclamation’s (BOR) report.  Secretary Sally Jewell’s testimony four months after the spill raised several concerns,…

House Passes Legislation to Protect Private Property Rights

| Posted in Press Release

Today, the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 2130, the “Red River Private Property Protection Act” by a vote of 253-177.  The Committee passed the legislation in September. Chairman Rob Bishop (R-UT) commented upon passage: “The ‘Red River Private Property Protection Act’ stops the Bureau of Land Management’s unwanted, unwarranted attempt to seize thousands of acres of land…

Panel Supports Efforts to Safeguard Atlantic Coast Fisheries Access, Protect Against Obama Administration’s Potential Unilateral Fisheries Closures

| Posted in Press Release

Riverhead, N.Y. – Today, the House Committee on Natural Resources held an oversight field hearing in Riverhead, NY on public access to Atlantic fisheries and the impact and implementation of federal decision-making on the commercial and recreational fishing industry and local economies.  The panel received testimony from fisheries stakeholders and a representative from the National…

Bishop: Energy Infrastructure Package Fuels Future Progress

| Posted in Press Release

Today, the House, by a bipartisan vote of 249-174, passed H.R. 8, the North American Energy Security and Infrastructure Act, which includes two bipartisan energy infrastructure bills from the Committee on Natural Resources, H.R. 2295, the National Energy Security Corridors Act, and H.R. 2358, the Electricity Reliability and Forest Protection Act.  Chairman Rob Bishop (R-UT) released…