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Deepwater Horizon Spill

Natural Resources Committee Republicans Examine Economic and Environmental Recovery at Gulf of Mexico Field Hearing

| Posted in Press Release

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…

Chairman Hastings: With American Energy Comes American Jobs

| Posted in Press Release

House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Doc Hastings (WA-04) delivered the following opening statement at today’s Energy and Minerals Subcommittee legislative hearing on H.R. 1229 the Putting the Gulf Back to Work Act, H.R. 1230 the Restarting American Offshore Leasing Now Act, and H.R. 1231 the Reversing President Obama’s Offshore Moratorium Act: “Thank you Subcommittee Chairman…

National Journal: Obama’s Fuzzy Oil Production Math

| Posted in In Case You Missed It

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…

Actual Gulf of Mexico Production Doesn’t Match Secretary Salazar’s Rosy Outlook

| Posted in Press Release

At today’s House Natural Resources Committee hearing on the Department of the Interior’s Fiscal Year 2012 Budget proposal, Rep. John Fleming asked Interior Secretary Ken Salazar about the Department’s refusal to issue new offshore drilling permits. Secretary Salazar responded, “When you look at the production within the Gulf of Mexico, even within the midst of the national crisis of the…

Hastings Statement on Approval of First Deepwater Drilling Permit

| Posted in Press Release

House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Doc Hastings (WA-04) released the following statement after the Interior Department announced the approval of Noble Energy’s deepwater drilling permit: “Over four months after the deepwater drilling moratorium was officially lifted in the Gulf of Mexico, the Administration is finally issuing the first permit. While this is good news, today’s…

Wall Street Journal Editorial: An Illegal Drilling Ban

| Posted in In Case You Missed It

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…

Reps. Hastings and Lamborn Send Letter Announcing Upcoming Hearings on de facto Moratorium

| Posted in Blog

Chairman Doc Hastings and Energy and Minerals Subcommittee Chairman Doug Lamborn sent the following letter to Gulf State Committee Members today notifying them of the Committee’s intention to hold upcoming hearings on the President’s de facto drilling moratorium and the slow-walking of permits. The letter specifically highlights the following new upcoming Committee activities: …

Chairman Hastings' Op-Ed in The Hill: Regulations stifle drilling, push gas prices up at pump

| Posted in Op-Eds and Speeches

Regulations stifle drilling, push gas prices up at pump February 15, 2011 The Hill Rep. Doc Hastings, Chairman House Natural Resources Committee Americans across the country are facing rising gasoline prices that are squeezing families’ monthly budgets and businesses’ ability to prosper and create jobs. There’s a growing anxiety that, like the summer of 2008, prices will once again…

Chairman Hastings Opening Statement at Committee Hearing on the President’s National Oil Spill Commission Final Report

| Posted in Press Release

House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Doc Hastings (WA-04) delivered the following opening statement at today’s Full Committee Oversight hearing on the President’s National Oil Spill Commission findings and recommendations: “It’s been nine months since the horrific explosion and oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico that resulted in the death of 11 men and the burning and sinking of the…

Charts Show Historic Drop-Off in Issuance of New Drilling Permits in the Gulf

| Posted in Blog

Greater New Orleans, Inc. recently released a Gulf Permit Index (GPI) that shows the Obama Administration is in no hurry to issue drilling permits in the Gulf of Mexico and end the de facto moratorium that has left thousands of Americans out of work. GNO, Inc. found that to date only two deep water permits have been issued since the deep water drilling moratorium was officially listed…