Federal helium program: Reforms need to address shortages, inject free-market principles By: Natural Resources Committee Chairman Doc Hastings December 10, 2012 For most Americans, the word helium may conjure up images of party balloons and cartoon characters floating in the Thanksgiving Day Parade, but few recognize the essential role it plays in our economy. From high-tech… Read more »

Barack Obama’s campaign against coal By: Natural Resources Committee Chairman Doc Hastings Politico Wednesday, September 12, 2012 During President Barack Obama’s 2008 presidential campaign, he declared one of his energy goals was to “bankrupt” the coal industry by making electricity prices “skyrocket.” That policy statement kick-started the president’s continuing war on coal miners,… Read more »

President Obama’s offshore drilling plan must be replaced By: House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Doc Hastings The Hill July 23, 2012 While the American people and news media were distracted by the Supreme Court’s decision on Obamacare, the Obama Administration quietly released its final proposed offshore drilling plan for the next five years. Though President Obama uses… Read more »

Obama's national ocean policy threatens jobs and economic activities onshore and off By House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Doc Hastings Foxnews.com June 19, 2012 In the famous poem “Paul Revere’s Ride,” Revere instructs his fellow patriots to use lanterns to signal whether there’s an attack coming by land or sea. While we may no longer have to fear the British, Americans… Read more »

HASTINGS: Time to improve the Endangered Species Act By House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Doc Hastings Washington Times May 18, 2012 When the Endangered Species Act (ESA) was signed into law in 1973 by President Nixon, he spoke about the importance of preserving “the rich array of animal life with which our country has been blessed.” I believe that goal is as important… Read more »

House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Doc Hastings (WA-04) delivered the following opening statement today at the Conference Committee meeting on the Highway bill: “The federal government’s slow, cumbersome bureaucracy is consistently getting in the way of job creation and economic growth. Nowhere is this more evident than infrastructure and energy projects, where burdensome red… Read more »

Actions louder than words when it comes to Obama’s energy policies By House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Doc Hastings The Hill February 8, 2012 Those who heard President Obama’s recent State of the Union speech might have been confused when he got to the energy portion of his remarks. Echoing phrases long used by Republicans, such as “all-of-the-above energy,” the president… Read more »

U.S. needs Brazilian approach to energy policy By House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Doc Hastings The Hill January 24, 2012 Earlier this month I had the opportunity to accompany Speaker John Boehner and a bipartisan group of members of Congress on a trip to Latin America. In addition to discussing trade and economic issues with the leaders of Colombia and Mexico, we also… Read more »

Guest Opinion: Ocean policy reaches far beyond the sea By House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Doc Hastings Energy Guardian January 20, 2012 If there’s one accomplishment President Obama can take credit for during his first term in office, it’s expanding the size and reach of the federal government. While this may be good for government bureaucrats, the policies and… Read more »

Hastings: Don’t Overlook Energy’s Potential By Rep. Doc Hastings Special to Roll Call Sept. 16, 2011, 10:12 a.m. Earlier this month, President Barack Obama spoke to a joint session of Congress about our country’s job crisis. House Republicans are ready and willing to work with the president on common-sense policies to jump-start our economy, and it’s encouraging to see the president… Read more »