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Chairman Hastings' Keynote Speech before the Family Farm Alliance Annual Conference

| Posted in Op-Eds and Speeches

Thank you for that warm welcome and introduction, Mike (LaPlant). For those of you who don’t know, Mike is the President of the Washington State Farm Bureau and a Director of the Quincy-Columbia Basin Irrigation District.  Mike is not only a constituent from Ephrata, Washington, but a friend. And I want to thank you at the Family Farm Alliance for inviting me here today. We…

President Obama’s American Energy Logic: Block Energy Production in Area Specifically Established for Energy Production

| Posted in Press Release

House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Doc Hastings (WA-04) today released the following statement after the Department of the Interior finalized plans to lock up the majority of the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska (NPR-A) from energy production.  “As gasoline prices continue to increase for the 34th day in a row, the Obama Administration has responded by locking up a majority…

Chairman Hastings Calls for President Obama to Appoint Permanent Inspector General for the Department of the Interior

| Posted in Press Release

House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Doc Hastings (WA-04) today wrote to President Obama requesting that he nominate a permanent Inspector General for the Department of the Interior. Since the Department’s previous Inspector General Earl Devaney was appointed to a new position nearly four years ago, the Department’s Office of Inspector General (IG) has been run by Deputy Inspector…

From the Headlines: Gasoline Prices Rise for 32 Days Straight, Hit American Families at Worst Possible Time

| Posted in In Case You Missed It

Yesterday marked 32 days in a row of increased gasoline prices, a 13 percent jump, according to the Automobile Association of America (AAA), which estimates the national average for a gallon of regular gasoline is $3.74. When President Obama took office in January 2009, the average price for gallon of gasoline was $1.84. Since taking office, President Obama has prevented new American…

Witnesses Agree on Swift Action To Reform Federal Helium Program, Save Tens of Thousands of Jobs

| Posted in Press Release

The House Natural Resources Committee today held a Full Committee hearing entitled, The Past, Present and Future of the Federal Helium Program, which focused on H.R. 527, the “Responsible Helium Administration and Stewardship Act,” bipartisan legislation that applies free-market principals to prevent a global helium shortage and provide American taxpayers with a fair return for the…

Under President Obama’s Leadership, Permits to Drill on Federal Lands Take 30 Percent Longer to Approve

| Posted in Hot Air Alert

During last night’s State of the Union, President Obama claimed his Administration has been actively working to speed up Applications for Permits to Drill (APDs) for energy producers on federal lands: “That’s why my Administration will keep cutting red tape and speeding up new oil and gas permits.” But facts are stubborn things and that statement simply is not true. Under President…

Chairman Hastings' Statement on the President's State of the Union Address

| Posted in Press Release

House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Doc Hastings (WA-04) tonight released the following statement in response to President Barack Obama’s State of the Union address: “During tonight’s State of the Union address, the President once again spoke about job creation and economic growth, but continued to ignore the economic opportunities that exist through energy production on federal…

Chairman Hastings Joins Letter Urging Extended Comment Period for Locals on Lesser Prairie-Chicken ESA Designation

| Posted in Press Release

House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Doc Hastings (WA-04), joined House Agriculture Committee Chairman Frank Lucas (OK-03), Rep. Randy Neubebauer (TX-19), and six other members of Congress in sending a letter to U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services (FWS) Director Dan Ashe calling on him to promptly approve state and local plans to protect the Lesser Prairie Chicken and requesting…

Subcommittee Chairman Bishop Leads Request for Comprehensive Analysis of NEPA’s Costs and Regulatory Burdens on Taxpayers

| Posted in Press Release

House Natural Resources Public Lands and Environmental Regulation Subcommittee Chairman Rob Bishop (UT-01), along with Natural Resources Committee Chairman Doc Hastings (WA-04), Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Fred Upton (MI-06), Armed Services Committee Chairman Howard “Buck” McKeon (CA-25), and Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Bill Shuster (PA-09), today sent…

Chairman Hastings Introduces Free-Market Plan to Prevent Global Helium Shortage, Provide Taxpayers Fair Return on Helium Sales

| Posted in Press Release

House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Doc Hastings (R-WA), along with Ranking Member Ed Markey (D-MA), Rep. Bill Flores (R-TX) and Rep. Rush Holt (D-NJ), today introduced H.R. 527, The Responsible Helium Administration and Stewardship Act. This bipartisan legislation would prevent the closure of the Federal Helium Reserve, which by law is scheduled to close later this year resulting…