For as much as President Obama complains about the bad economy that he inherited, he sure seems to be enjoying the inherited boom in U.S. oil and gas production on private and state lands. Last night President Obama dedicated a significant portion of his State of the Union speech to weaving a tale about what his Administration has done for American energy production. Unfortunately for the… Read more »

House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Doc Hastings (WA-04) released the following statement regarding President Obama’s State of the Union address: “With the vast majority of Americans supporting increased oil and natural gas production, it’s no surprise that President Obama chose to mention it in his election-year State of the Union address. However, the lofty rhetoric and… Read more »

House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Doc Hastings (WA-04) and a group of 18 bipartisan Members of Congress and Senators from Washington, Idaho, and Oregon sent the following letter to Department of Energy (DOE) Secretary Steven Chu raising concerns with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s (FERC) December 7th order which held that the Bonneville Power Administration’s (BPA)… Read more »

Republicans on the House Natural Resources Committee released a new web video today highlighting the Committee’s work during the first session of the 112th Congress to create jobs and expand access to our own energy and natural resources. Through 115 hearings, Republicans on the Committee conducted rigorous oversight of Obama Administration policies and regulations that will cost jobs and… Read more »

House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Doc Hastings released the following statement regarding the Obama Administration’s decision to withdraw Rebecca Wodder’s nomination for Interior Department Assistant Secretary for Fish, Wildlife and Parks: “From the very beginning there were serious concerns and questions raised about this failed nominee’s previous employment and ability to… Read more »

Today during the White House Press Briefing, Press Secretary Jay Carney attempted to defend the Obama Administration’s dismal energy record when asked about the President’s Jobs Council report that recommends increased energy production on federal lands as a way to create new American jobs: “The fact of the matter is, on oil and gas production, we have higher oil production in this… Read more »

President Obama’s Council on Jobs and Competitiveness released their “Road Map to Renewal” report on ideas for job creation. The report cited a number of “all-in” energy policy recommendations in order to create American jobs that bear a striking resemblance to the “all-of-the-above” American Energy Initiative promoted by House Republicans. Specific proposals from the Council include… Read more »

Today President Obama’s National Ocean Council, created by an Executive Order in 2010, released a draft action plan to move forward with the Administration’s goal of imposing new mandatory “ocean zoning.” This initiative could place huge portions of the ocean off limits to all types of recreational, commercial and agricultural activities – destroying jobs and harming our economy. It could… Read more »

House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Doc Hastings (WA-04) released the following statement regarding Department of the Interior Secretary Ken Salazar’s announcement to impose a 20-year ban on uranium mining on one million acres of federal land in Arizona: “The Obama Administration is putting politics above American jobs and American energy security by blocking mining on what is the… Read more »

House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Doc Hastings (WA-04) released the following statement on the December jobs report released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics: “It is good news that more jobs were added to the economy last month, however millions of Americans remain unemployed and there is still much more that needs to be done to revive our sluggish economy. House Republicans… Read more »