U.S. losing $4.7M a day from permitting lag, group says April 27, 2011 Greenwire By Phil Taylor Research by a Dallas-based research group found that declining oil and gas production in the Gulf of Mexico and a lull in new drilling permits is costing the United States $4.7 million a day in mineral revenues. The briefing released today by the National Center for Policy Analysis blames… Read more »

ABC News reported today that gasoline prices have increased for seven straight weeks and that the national average price has reached the highest amount ever recorded in the month of March. Responding to this news, House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Doc Hastings (WA-04) continued to call for increased American energy production to create jobs and lower prices. “Americans are… Read more »

Obama’s Fuzzy Oil Production Math Bush administration actions have led to gains in supply By: Amy Harder National Journal Thursday, March 17, 2011 | 1:57 p.m. He doesn’t want to admit it, but President Obama is taking credit for something George W. Bush did. The White House is touting federal data that shows domestic oil production is at its highest level since 2003. In a blog… Read more »

House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Doc Hastings (WA-04) today appeared on C-SPAN’s Washington Journal where he discussed a variety of topics including rising gasoline prices, job creation and the need for increased American energy production. Highlights: Creating American Jobs “Energy producing jobs are good jobs…When we’re looking at trying to get our economy to rebound, we… Read more »

Obama's Gas Price Migraine March 4, 2011 Wall Street Journal By Kimberley A. Strassel The Obama administration has its share of headaches: a possible government shutdown, Arab unrest, the union uprising. The real migraine may be a firestorm over gasoline prices. Oil last week topped $100 a barrel, and gas has hit $4 a gallon in pockets of the country. The price is expected to keep… Read more »

An Illegal Drilling Ban Does Ken Salazar think he's above the law? February 24, 2011 Wall Street Journal Editorial Remember the BP oil spill and its aftermath? Folks remember it on the Gulf Coast, where late last week a federal judge ruled that the Obama Administration is imposing a de facto ban on deep water drilling that is "unreasonable, unacceptable, and unjustified." Federal… Read more »

Lawmakers: Egypt shows U.S. should start drilling 1/31/2011 Houston Chronicle Jennifer Dlouhy Civil unrest in Egypt and fears about a shutdown of oil shipments through the Suez Canal are stoking higher crude prices and calls in Congress for expanding domestic energy production. Rep. Doc Hastings, R-Wash., the head of the House Natural Resources Committee, said the Egyptian turmoil is… Read more »

Hastings Says Gas Prices Could Drive Drilling Debate 1/20/2011 National Journal Amy Harder A top House Republican predicted Wednesday that Congress could see a repeat of its bruising debate over offshore drilling from 2008 if gasoline prices continue to rise. “I think we could potentially … see a similar type of discussion,” House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Doc Hastings,… Read more »

Drilling Is Stalled Even After Ban Is Lifted January 3, 2011 Wall Street Journal Ben Casselman and Daniel Gilbert More than two months after the Obama administration lifted its ban on drilling in the deep-water Gulf of Mexico, oil companies are still waiting for approval to drill the first new oil well there. Experts now expect the wait to continue until the second half of 2011, and… Read more »

The U.S. Customs and Border Protection announced today that Border Patrol Agent Brian A. Terry was shot and killed Tuesday night by bandits near Rio Rico, Arizona. Sources have confirmed that the shooting occurred on federal lands in the Coronado National Forest. This is the latest violent crime to occur on federal areas along the U.S. border where environmental policies, enforced by… Read more »