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Energy and Mineral Resources

Witnesses: Increased Offshore Oil, Natural Gas, Wind Production Creates Thousands of Jobs, Grows Economy

| Posted in Press Release

The Energy and Mineral Resources Subcommittee held an oversight hearing today on “America’s Offshore Energy Resources: Creating Jobs, Securing America, and Lowering Prices.” The hearing focused on the significant economic growth that increased production of offshore oil, natural gas and wind energy. “In light of record debt and deficits, and the current sequestration cuts going into…

The Offshore Energy Economy President Obama Doesn’t Want: Increased Offshore Energy Production = More Jobs, Bigger Economy, Lower Prices

| Posted in Resourceful Information

Ever since taking office, President Obama has erected barriers to increased offshore American energy production and systematically closed off new areas to drilling. Study after study has shown that increased offshore energy production will create jobs, grow the economy, lower prices and provide significant revenues to the states and federal government. As the chart (below) shows, under…

Chairman Hastings Letter to Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar Regarding the Investigations and Review Unit

| Posted in Letters

Dear Secretary Salazar: The Department of the Interior ("Department") established the Investigations and Review Unit ("IRU") in 2010, reportedly to respond to allegations of wrongdoing and unethical behavior by the offshore oil and gas industry and the Department officials who regulate those activities and to help coordinate the Department's response to significant…

Amid Renewed Lawsuits, Chairman Hastings Calls on Obama Administration to Answer Questions on Job Destroying Coal Regulation

| Posted in Press Release

House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Doc Hastings (WA-04) today sent a letter to Department of the Interior Secretary Ken Salazar to follow up on a more than two and a half year investigation into the Obama Administration’s decision to throw out the 2008 Stream Buffer Zone coal regulation, and write a new regulation that could destroy up to 7,000 coal mining jobs and cause economic…

Chairman Hastings' Letter to Secretary Salazar Regarding the Stream Buffer Zone Rule Rewrite

| Posted in Letters

Dear Secretary Salazar: Two years ago you received the first in a series of letters asking for information and documents that would explain the deeply concerning decisions made by the Department and the Office of Surface Mining ("OSM") over the last few years related to the decision to discard nearly 5 years of rulemaking and begin a rewrite of Stream Buffer Zone Rule. The Committee has…

Witnesses Agree on Swift Action To Reform Federal Helium Program, Save Tens of Thousands of Jobs

| Posted in Press Release

The House Natural Resources Committee today held a Full Committee hearing entitled, The Past, Present and Future of the Federal Helium Program, which focused on H.R. 527, the “Responsible Helium Administration and Stewardship Act,” bipartisan legislation that applies free-market principals to prevent a global helium shortage and provide American taxpayers with a fair return for the…

Governors Ask Interior Nominee to Reconsider Atlantic Drilling

| Posted in Blog

Today, North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory, South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, and Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell sent a letter to Interior Secretary Nominee Sally Jewell asking for a re-examination of the Administration’s policies towards energy exploration and production on the Atlantic Outer Continental Shelf (OCS). The Administration has continually blocked access to energy…

H.R. 527, The Responsible Helium Administration and Stewardship Act, Receiving Early Support from Hi-tech Manufacturers

| Posted in Blog

Manufacturers of computer chips, fiber-optic cables, semi-conductors, life-saving medical imaging devices, and other advanced technologies are already calling for passage of H.R. 527, The Responsible Helium Administration and Stewardship Act. This bipartisan legislation, introduced this week by Chairman Doc Hastings, would prevent the closure of the Federal Helium Reserve, which by law is…

Chairman Hastings Introduces Free-Market Plan to Prevent Global Helium Shortage, Provide Taxpayers Fair Return on Helium Sales

| Posted in Press Release

House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Doc Hastings (R-WA), along with Ranking Member Ed Markey (D-MA), Rep. Bill Flores (R-TX) and Rep. Rush Holt (D-NJ), today introduced H.R. 527, The Responsible Helium Administration and Stewardship Act. This bipartisan legislation would prevent the closure of the Federal Helium Reserve, which by law is scheduled to close later this year resulting…

Chairman Hastings Announces Republican Subcommittee Assignments

| Posted in Press Release

House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Doc Hastings (WA-04) today announced the subcommittee assignments for the Republican Members of the Natural Resources Committee for the 113th Congress. “The Natural Resources Committee, along with its five Subcommittees, is ready to get to work this Congress with a continued focus on job creation. Through oversight and legislative proposals,…