Shhh: Public Comments Favor Drilling February 4, 2010, 4:32 PM ET Wall Street Journal: Washington Wire Blog Stephen Power An email last fall from a top Interior Department official indicates public comments ran two-to-one in favor of a Bush administration plan to expand offshore drilling. The email from Liz Birnbaum, director of the Minerals Management Service which manages the… Read more »

KFSN: A Passionate Plea from the Valley for More Water Farmers filled a town hall meeting at city hall Monday to tell congressional leaders both they and the Central Valley need water in order to survive... "Gentlemen, let me tell you, this is a serious problem. This is a catastrophe. This is our Katrina, this is our Haiti because we got people out of work," Fresno County Supervisor… Read more »

Virgin Islands land eyed for historic site January 25, 2010 Washington Times Stephen Dinan The National Park Service hasn't yet decided whether it wants beachfront land in the U.S. Virgin Islands for a new national historic site, but House Democrats for the second time in two weeks will try to push the Park Service to do it, at a potential eventual cost in the tens of millions of… Read more »

Only 34 Percent of Hawaiians Support Akaka Bill Human Events Valerie Richardson December 18, 2009 With President Bush no longer wielding a veto and a Hawaiian in the White House, Democrats would need to stumble badly to botch the passage of the Native Hawaiian Government Reorganization Act. Fortunately for conservatives, that's exactly what's happening. Better known as the Akaka… Read more »

Aloha, Segregation: The Akaka bill would create a race-based state in Hawaii Wall Street Journal Editorial December 17, 2009 President Obama speaks proudly of his childhood in Hawaii, so we wonder what the state's voters think of his support for a bill that would redistribute its wealth based on race. That's what would happen under the Native Hawaiian Government Reorganization… Read more »

It's Not Just the Obamas Going to Hawaii This December National Review, The Corner Kathryn Jean Lopez December 14, 2009 For years (since 1999), Daniel Akaka has been trying to make the Native Hawaiian Government Reorganization Act law. On Friday afternoon, the minority on the House Natural Resources Committee got word that there will be a mark-up on it on Wednesday. Apparently… Read more »

Click here to watch the video HOST: “Every year, the government hands out millions to various green organizations to support their efforts to protect the environment, but what looks like a great idea may have a thornier side. Critics say the same environmentalists receiving the help are bleeding the government dry with mountains of… Read more »

GOP lawmakers urge Interior to continue streamlining permitting November 6, 2009 E&E Daily Noelle Straub A group of House Republicans is urging the Interior Department not to back off its use of a provision to streamline oil and gas drilling applications on public lands, despite lawsuits from environmental groups. Section 390 of the 2005 Energy Policy Act allows the Bureau of… Read more »

Interior, Congress wage turf battle over timber contracts November 6, 2009 E&E Daily Patrick Reis Three Western congressmen are pushing legislation that would extend federal contracts for timber companies trying to ride out the tough homebuilding market, but administration officials want more say in the process. H.R. 3759 would require the Interior Department to grant three-year… Read more »

New bill aims to protect Western ratepayers from transmission costs November 16, 2009 E&E Daily Katherine Ling Customers in the West would not have to pay for failed transmission projects under a bill introduced yesterday by the ranking member of the House Natural Resources Committee. Rep. Doc Hastings (R-Wash.) and Rep. Tom McClintock (R-Calif.), ranking member of the Water and… Read more »