Today, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) agreed, following a letter from House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Doc Hastings and Reps. Greg Walden, Cathy McMorris Rodgers, Jaime Herrera Beutler, Tom McClintock and Wally Herger, to re-open for an additional 30 days public comment on the controversial proposed habitat modeling related to the Northern Spotted Owl. The announcement… Read more »

House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Doc Hastings (WA-04) released the following statement after the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement (BOEMRE) announced the completion of the draft supplemental environmental impact statement (SEIS) for oil and gas lease sale 218 in the Western Planning Area in the Gulf of Mexico. The announcement comes on the heels of… Read more »

House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Doc Hastings (WA-04) released the following statement on the one-year anniversary of the Deepwater Horizon explosion and subsequent oil spill: “This is a time to remember the eleven men who tragically lost their lives and the families who lost their loved ones. This week, the Committee travelled to Louisiana to examine the status of recovery… Read more »

Today, the House Natural Resources Committee held a field hearing in Houma, LA entitled “Gulf of Mexico: A Focus on Community Recovery and New Response Technology. At the hearing, Members heard first hand from local citizens and businesses about the status of recovery efforts, the impacts of the Administration’s de facto moratorium and the deployment of new technology to improve the… Read more »

Today, the Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Public Lands and the Security, Homeland Defense, and Foreign Operations Subcommittee held a joint oversight hearing on the impacts of environmental laws and federal regulations on border security and the environment. Members heard from former Border Patrol Officers and affected citizens who discussed how these regulations are impeding… Read more »

House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Doc Hastings (WA-04) released the following statement today regarding passage of H.R. 1473, the Continuing Resolution that funds the federal government through FY2011 and cuts spending by nearly $40 billion: “This bill is the first step in getting our Nation’s fiscal house in order and sends a strong signal to the American people that Congress… Read more »

The House Natural Resources Committee today passed three energy bills with bipartisan support that are a part of House Republicans' American Energy Initiative. These bills (H.R. 1229, H.R. 1230 and H.R. 1231) will expand American energy production, create jobs and lower gasoline prices by reversing Obama Administration policies that have placed our American energy resources… Read more »

Today, House National Parks, Forests and Public Lands Subcommittee Chairman Rob Bishop (R-UT), House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Doc Hastings (R-WA), Homeland Security Committee Chairman Peter T. King (R-NY), Judiciary Committee Chairman Lamar Smith (R-TX), and House Republican Conference Secretary John Carter (R-TX) introduced H.R. 1505, the National Security and Federal Lands… Read more »

The House Natural Resources Committee this morning passed H.R. 1229, the Putting the Gulf Back to Work Act, by a bipartisan vote of 27 to 16. This bill ends the Administration’s de facto moratorium in the Gulf of Mexico in a responsible, transparent manner by reforming current law to improve safety and setting firm time-lines for considering permits to drill. “With the passage of this… Read more »

House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Doc Hastings (WA-04) today released the following statement after some energy experts predicted gasoline prices could reach $5 per gallon by Memorial Day weekend. “Gas prices are closing in on record levels, threatening our economy as the peak driving season approaches. From parents driving kids to school, to farmers working crops in Spring, to… Read more »