Today, the House Committee on Natural Resources passed legislation to promote and expand development of U.S. oil shale resources in the Rocky Mountains, with a bipartisan vote of 27 to 16. As an energy component of the American Energy & Infrastructure Jobs Act, the measure creates new American jobs by setting clear rules for the development of U.S. oil shale resources and promoting… Read more »

House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Doc Hastings (WA-04) today announced that the Natural Resources Committee will hold a markup on Wednesday, February 1st that will include the energy portion of the American Energy & Infrastructure Jobs Act, legislation to link new American energy production with high-priority infrastructure projects. “Expanding access to America’s abundant… Read more »

House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Doc Hastings (WA-04) today released the following statement regarding the U.S. Forest Service’s new forest planning rule that will determine how to manage 155 national forests and 20 grasslands: “Our national forests are a vital source of economic activity that support American jobs and recreation for local communities and the public. Without… Read more »

President Barack Obama continues his campaign themed State of the Union messages in Las Vegas, Nevada today by touting his newly adopted catch phrase from House Republicans - an “all-of-the-above” American energy plan. While President Obama may support a new catch phrase, he doesn’t support the actual policies that accompany a real all-of-the-above energy plan. President Obama is… Read more »

Today, President Obama made a “major announcement,” in what otherwise must be a slow day for the White House, by moving forward with offshore lease sales that were scheduled before he even took office. The rather banal “major announcement” does not open any new offshore areas for energy production but combines a lease sale delayed for a year by the Obama Administration (216 Central Gulf… Read more »

House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Doc Hastings (WA-04) and Energy and Mineral Subcommittee Chairman Doug Lamborn (CO-05) sent a letter today to Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar to demand compliance with document requests regarding alterations to the Department of the Interior’s (DOI) 30-Day Safety Report that recommended imposing a six-month drilling moratorium in the Gulf… Read more »

As part of the House Natural Resources Committee’s nearly year-long investigation into the Obama Administration’s rewrite of the 2008 Stream Buffer Zone Rule, Committee Chairman Doc Hastings (WA-05) and Energy and Minerals Subcommittee Chairman Doug Lamborn (CO-05) sent a letter today to Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar calling for the Administration to comply with repeated document… 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 »