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National Monuments

Hastings on Helium Hypocrisy: Senate Should Act Today to Open our National Parks

| Posted in Floor Statements

House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Doc Hastings (WA-04) delivered the following statement (as prepared for delivery) on the House floor calling on the Senate to act on common sense legislation to keep our National Parks open. “Mr. Speaker, yesterday the House passed and sent to the Senate a bipartisan bill to keep our National Parks open. Twenty-three Democrats joined with…

Obama Administration Closed Parks to WWII Veterans, but kept Open for Illegal Occupy Movement Camp

| Posted in Hot Air Alert

In an attempt to make the government shutdown as painful as possible, the Obama Administration yesterday chose to erect metal barricades around the World War II Memorial (an open air memorial that is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week) and stationed armed National Park Police to block World War II veterans from entering their memorial. It’s ironic that while our Nation’s heroes are met…

Hastings, Bishop Challenge Obama Administration Over Unnecessary and Arbitrary Closures of Open-air Parks and Monuments

| Posted in Press Release

House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Doc Hastings (WA-04) and Subcommittee on Public Lands and Environmental Regulation Chairman Rob Bishop (UT-01) today sent a letter to National Park Service Director Jonathan Jarvis regarding the Obama Administration’s actions to restrict public access to the World War II Memorial and other open-air monuments, memorials and parks in Washington,…

Obama Administration Arbitrarily Choosing Which D.C. Monuments and Parks to Close Off to Veterans and Tourists

| Posted in Hot Air Alert

Yesterday, the Obama Administration began selectively erecting barricades to keep visitors, including large groups of World War II veterans, from visiting popular monuments such as the World War II Memorial, Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial, and the National Mall. However, the Obama Administration is applying this policy inconsistently and choosing which memorials to block off and which to…

Chairmen Hastings and Bishop Letter to Director Jarvis Regarding the Decision to Unnecessarily and Arbitrarily Close Open-air Parks and Monuments

| Posted in Letters

Dear Director Jarvis: Through this letter, the Committee on Natural Resources ("Committee") requests that the National Park Service ("Park Service") take steps as necessary to keep and not destroy documents related to the decision this week to restrict public access to the National World War II Memorial, the Lincoln Memorial, the Korean Veterans Memorial, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial,…

Chairman Hastings’ Statement on Resolution to Fund National Parks

| Posted in Press Release

House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Doc Hastings delivered the following statement (as prepared) on the House floor today in support of H.J.Res. __, Open Our National Parks and Museums Act: “Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of this legislation to fund National Parks. No one wanted a government shut down and one of the unfortunate consequences is that millions of…

Committee Approves Legislation Addressing Concerns with the Troubled Eisenhower Memorial

| Posted in Press Release

Today, the House Natural Resources Committee approved H.R. 1126, the Dwight. D. Eisenhower Memorial Completion Act, by voice vote. This legislation, sponsored by Subcommittee on Public Lands and Environmental Regulation Chairman Rob Bishop (UT-01), seeks to build consensus around a new Eisenhower Memorial by implementing a new design competition and providing a three year extension of the…

VIDEO: View from the Top of the Washington Monument

| Posted in Blog

Last week, the National Park Service (NPS) finished the scaffolding surrounding the Washington Monument. The Washington Monument has been closed since being damaged in an Earthquake on August 23, 2011. This video released by the NPS shows a first person perspective from the top of the monument.

Breakfast Links

| Posted in Blog

The Natural Resources Morning News Round-up: CQ – Anna McGeehan: “Panel Passes Bills on Rare Earth, Critical Minerals” Associated Press: “U.S. Gas Prices Up 11 Cents Over Past 2 Weeks” US News and World Report – Elizabeth Flock: “Commission for Unbuilt Ike Memorial Wants Another $51 Million From Taxpayers” Washington Examiner – Eric P. Newcomber: “Eisenhower family…

Documents Sought on High Costs Associated with Eisenhower Memorial Gehry Design

| Posted in Press Release

House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Doc Hastings (WA-04) and Subcommittee on Public Lands and Environmental Regulation Chairman Rob Bishop (UT-01) sent letters to the National Park Service, General Services Administration, and Eisenhower Memorial Commission seeking information about the activities and costs associated with the Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial Commission and the…