Resolution of Inquiry Requesting Additional Documents on the Secretary of Interior’s Proposed Treasured Landscape Initiative (H.Res. 1254) May 5, 2010 Full Committee Markup Reporting H.Res. 1254 out of Committee (View Roll Call Vote) This Resolution of Inquiry directs the Secretary of the Interior to turn over to the House of Representatives specific information relating to Department… Read more »

San Antonio Missions National Historical Park Leasing and Boundary Expansion Act of 2010 (H.R. 4438) May 5, 2010 Full Committee Markup Reporting H.R. 4438 out of Committee (Voted favorably by voice vote) The San Antonio Missions National Historical Park Leasing and Boundary Expansion Act of 2010 would expand the boundary of the Park to include an additional 151 acres, only a small… Read more »

Oregon Caves National Monument Boundary Adjustment Act of 2009 (H.R. 2889) May 5, 2010 Full Committee Markup Reporting H.R. 2889 out of Committee (Voted favorably by voice vote) The Oregon Caves National Monument Boundary Adjustment Act of 2009 would modify the boundary of the Oregon Caves National Monument to include approximately 4,070 acres of land currently managed by the Forest… Read more »

The National Border Patrol Council (NBPC), a professional union representing more than 17,000 Border Patrol Agents and support staff, sent a letter yesterday in support of H.R. 5016, a bill to prevent the Department of Interior and the Department of Agriculture from implementing policies that restrict or impede Border Patrol from carrying out their mission to secure the U.S.… Read more »

Only weeks after Republican Committee Ranking Members introduced legislation to ensure Border Patrol agents’ operational control of the border isn’t compromised by Department of Interior environmental policies, a shooting occurred on public lands near the border. On Friday, April 30, Pinal County Sheriff Deputy Louie Puroll was ambushed and shot by five drug smugglers in the Table Top… Read more »

House Natural Resources Committee Ranking Member Doc Hastings (WA-04) released the following statements regarding the oil spill and cleanup efforts in the Gulf of Mexico: “First and foremost, the focus must be on addressing this emergency situation, stopping the leaks and thoroughly investigating the cause of the explosion. This is a tragic event that has cost lives, caused… Read more »

As the Obama Administration and the Congressional Democrats scramble to cobble together a response to growing concerns on the U.S.-Mexico border - particularly on federal lands, where Border Patrol is unable to effectively monitor and patrol - a recent comment from Department of Interior (DOI) Secretary Ken Salazar has shed some light on DOI’s inability to address the… Read more »

In anticipation of today’s vote on H.R. 2499, the Puerto Rico Democracy Act, House Natural Resources Committee Ranking Member Doc Hastings (WA-04) released a video and accompanying fact sheets outlining concerns and questions about the proposed legislation.  H.R. 2499 would provide for a two-step vote process in Puerto Rico on their future political status, including the option of… Read more »

The House of Representatives is expected to soon vote on H.R. 2499, the Puerto Rico Democracy Act. This bill would provide for a two-step vote process in Puerto Rico on their future political status, including the option of becoming the nation’s 51st state. Puerto Rico is able to conduct its own local plebiscite or referendum, as they have done three times in the past, yet this bill… Read more »

House Natural Resources Committee Ranking Member Doc Hastings (WA-04) released the following statement after today’s announcement that the Administration will allow the private investment and development of the Cape Wind Energy Project in the Federal waters off the Massachusetts coast: “For an Administration that has constantly dragged its feet on American energy development, today’s… Read more »