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Chairman Hastings’ Statement on Interior Department’s List of Proposed Conservation Lands and Wilderness Designations

| Posted in Press Release

House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Doc Hastings released the following statement regarding the Department of the Interior’s list of proposed Conservation Lands and Wilderness designations: “To date, Congress has designated over one hundred million acres of our public lands as Wilderness – an area larger than the state of California – and last month the Natural Resources Committee…

Chairmen Seek to Halt Risky WAPA Loans by Energy Department, Give Notice on Further Oversight and Document Requests

| Posted in Press Release

House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Doc Hastings (WA-04) and Subcommittee on Water and Power Chairman Tom McClintock (CA-04) sent the following letter to Department of Energy (DOE) Secretary Steven Chu following the alarming November 7th DOE Inspector General “Management Alert” report on the Western Area Power Administration’s (WAPA) risky, Solyndra-like loan authority and Rep.…

Obama Administration Imposes Five-Year Drilling Ban on Majority of Offshore Areas

| Posted in Press Release

After imposing a nearly three-year moratorium on new offshore drilling by discarding the 2010-2015 lease plan that allowed for new development on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS), the Obama Administration announced a draft plan today that closes the majority of the OCS to new energy production through 2017. The Administration’s draft five-year plan prohibits new offshore drilling and…

Chairman Hastings Statement on October Jobs Report

| Posted in Press Release

House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Doc Hastings (WA-04) released the following statement after the October jobs report was released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics: “The job numbers released today are hardly encouraging to the thousands and thousands of people still struggling to find work. While President Obama has been campaigning around the country, pushing a new so-called…

Witnesses Question Obama Administration’s Priorities on Everglades Restoration

| Posted in Press Release

Today, the Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife, Oceans and Insular Affairs held an oversight hearing on, “Florida Everglades Restoration: What are the Priorities?” The hearing focused on how the Obama Administration’s proposed establishment of the Everglades Headwaters National Wildlife Refuge and Conservation Area will contribute to the overall goal of restoring the Florida…

Witnesses Testify on Importance of American Uranium Production

| Posted in Press Release

Today, the House Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Public Lands held a legislative hearing on four bills including H.R. 3155, the “Northern Arizona Mining Continuity Act of 2011.” Introduced by Congressman Trent Franks (AZ-02), H.R. 3155 would prohibit the Secretary of the Interior from banning uranium mining on 1 million acres outside the borders of the Grand Canyon National…

Committee Dismisses Sudden Democrat Demand for Subpoenas, After Democrats Don’t Bother to Appear to Question Companies on Oct. 13th

| Posted in Press Release

House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Doc Hastings (WA-04) released the following statement following the conclusion of today’s hearing: “Let me be very clear, if the companies officially cited for the oil spill had outright refused to provide witnesses, testimony or answers to the Committee, then I would be leading the effort to compel them to appear, by subpoena if necessary. But…

Chairman Hastings’ Statement on President Obama’s Fort Monroe Monument Designation

| Posted in Press Release

House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Doc Hastings (WA-04) today released the following statement in response to President Obama’s announcement to use presidential powers granted under the 1906 Antiquities Act to designate part of Fort Monroe as a National Monument: “In contrast to prior uses of the Antiquities Act that were done unilaterally and in the dark of night, this national…

FOX News: In Down Economy, Washington Lawmaker Pushes for More Logging

| Posted in In Case You Missed It

In Down Economy, Washington Lawmaker Pushes for More Logging By Dan Springer October 26, 2011 FOX News Tired of going back to the government every year with their hands out, rural counties are looking for a way to get off the federal dime and put unemployed loggers back to work. Washington Rep. Doc Hastings says he has an answer that would tackle both problems. “I think we need to…

Associated Press: Lawmakers say environmental laws should be waived for Border Patrol operations

| Posted in In Case You Missed It

Lawmakers say environmental laws should be waived for Border Patrol operations October 27, 2011 Associated Press Kevin Freking Federal agents trying to patrol the U.S.-Mexico border say they’re hampered by laws that keep them from driving vehicles on huge swaths of land because it falls under U.S. environmental protection, leaving it to wildlife — and illegal immigrants and smugglers…