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Offshore Drilling

Hastings and House Republicans Call Upon Salazar to Allow Central Gulf Oil and Gas Lease to Occur as Scheduled

| Posted in Press Release

House Natural Resources Committee Ranking Member Doc Hastings (WA-04) and other House Republicans issued the following statements after delivering the attached letter to Secretary of Interior Ken Salazar regarding their support for the upcoming Central Gulf Oil and Gas Lease Sale 208 to occur as scheduled on March 18, 2009. “When many Americans are worried about rising unemployment rates…

Statement from Congressman Hastings on US Energy Production and President Obama’s Address to the Joint Session of Congress

| Posted in Press Release

House Natural Resources Committee Ranking Member Doc Hastings released the following statement regarding President Obama’s Address to the Joint Session of Congress: “I share President Obama’s belief that our nation will overcome today’s challenges, and come out of this recession with a stronger economy and a brighter future. President Obama noted that we import more oil than ever…

Hastings: Interior’s Delay on OCS Leasing is really a Moratorium

| Posted in Press Release

At the House Natural Resources Committee’s third oversight hearing on development of the U.S. Outer Continental Shelf (OCS), Ranking Member Doc Hastings criticized the Secretary of the Interior’s decision to “delay” OCS leasing, noting that it’s really a continuation of the moratorium. “Although Congress acted last year to lift the moratoria on OCS development, it will require action by…

Secretary Salazar Announces Delays in Oil Shale Research and Development, Driving Investment Overseas and Costing U.S. Jobs

| Posted in Press Release

House Natural Resources Committee Ranking Member Doc Hastings released the following statement today regarding plans by the Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar to cancel a proposed plan for expanded oil shale RD&D leases: “This is the third announcement this month from the Department of Interior regarding delays in American energy development.  From withdrawing land leases in…

Natural Resources Committee Holds Second Hearing on Offshore Drilling

| Posted in Press Release

The House Natural Resources Committee today held its second full committee oversight hearing in a three-part series on development of the U.S. Outer Continental Shelf (OCS), specifically looking at states’ perspectives on offshore drilling. Below is a copy of Ranking Member Doc Hastings’s opening statement from today’s hearing: Mr. Chairman, today we are to hear from various states on…

New Report Highlights Extensive Economic Benefits from Offshore Drilling

| Posted in Press Release

The American Energy Alliance (AEA) released a report today detailing how permanently lifting the moratoria on energy development in the U.S. Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) would create over a million jobs and contribute more than $8 trillion to our economy. Specifically, the report states that over the life of production drilling in the OCS would generate: $8 trillion in economic…

First OCS Hearing Stacked with Opponents of Offshore Drilling

| Posted in Press Release

The House Natural Resources Committee today held its first hearing in a series regarding development of the U.S. Outer Continental Shelf (OCS).  Unfortunately, this hearing was not a chance to hear from experts advocating for achievable solutions to our energy needs, but instead featured all five Democrat witnesses calling for the reinstatement of the ban on offshore drilling. Ranking…

Hastings: Americans Cannot Afford to Delay New Oil and Gas Development on the U.S. Outer Continental Shelf

| Posted in Press Release

House Natural Resources Committee Ranking Republican Doc Hastings issued the following statement today responding to Interior Secretary Salazar’s announcement to delay the 5-year plan for oil and gas development on the U.S. Outer Continental Shelf: “It’s disappointing that Interior Department is choosing to delay new exploration on the Outer Continental Shelf when we must be focused on…