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Energy and Mineral Resources

Chairman Hastings' Floor Statement on Bill to Cut Red-tape to Develop Rare Earth and Critical Minerals in U.S.

| 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 today in support of H.R. 4402, The National Strategic and Critical Minerals Production Act: “The United States of America is rarely last at anything. Unfortunately, that is not the case when it comes to permitting mining projects. In 2012, the…

Chairman Hastings Invitation Letter to Secretary Salazar and Director Pizarchik to Testify on Status of Coal Regulation Rewrite and Complying With Subpoenas for Documents

| Posted in Letters

Dear Secretary Salazar and Director Pizarchik: The Committee will hold an oversight hearing on July 19, 2012 to examine 1) the status of the proposed Stream Protection Rule rewrite and the lawsuit settlement agreement entered into on March 19, 2010 by the Department of the Interior (“Department”) and the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (“OSM”) to complete the rewrite…

Committee to Markup Plan to Replace President Obama's Energy-Restricting and Job-Limiting Offshore Drilling Plan

| Posted in Press Release

House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Doc Hastings (WA-04) today unveiled draft legislation, H.R. 6082, the Congressional Replacement of President Obama’s Energy-Restricting and Job-Limiting Offshore Drilling Plan, to implement a new lease plan for developing the United States’ offshore energy resources over the next five years. A Full Committee markup of the bill will be held on…

House to Consider Another Job Creating Bill Next Week

| Posted in Press Release

Next week, the House of Representatives will continue its focus on job creation and economic growth by voting on another bipartisan Natural Resources Committee bill, H.R. 4402, the National Strategic and Critical Minerals Production Act, that will allow the U.S. to more efficiently develop our Nation's strategic and critical minerals, such as rare earth elements, that are vital to job…

INVESTIGATION: Deadline Set on Request to Interview Interior Department Officials Involved in Drilling Moratorium Report

| Posted in Press Release

Today, as part of a more than yearlong investigation into the Obama Administration decision to impose a drilling moratorium in the Gulf of Mexico through a report that was edited in a manner that misrepresented that the moratorium was supported by a panel of engineering experts, Natural Resources Committee Chairman Doc Hastings (WA-04) sent a letter setting a deadline on the request to…

President Obama's Offshore Energy Negligence

| Posted in Hot Air Alert

When is something so bad that it’s worse than the biggest tax increase in American history? When it’s the Obama Administration’s final plan for offshore energy development. In fact, you can’t even really call it a plan—it’s the opposite of a plan; it’s negligence. The Obama plan neglects new job creation, new American energy production and the need to lower our nation’s dependence on…

Chairman Hastings: Obama Administration Closes Majority of OCS to Offshore Energy Production

| Posted in Press Release

House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Doc Hastings (WA-04) released the following statement after the Obama Administration issued the 2012-2017 offshore lease plan that closes 85 percent of America’s offshore areas to energy production. “The Obama Administration has neglected their duty to provide a roadmap for America’s offshore energy future by tossing aside a plan to expand…

House Passes Bipartisan Bill to Boost American Energy Production and Job Creation

| Posted in Press Release

Today, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 4480, the Domestic Energy and Jobs Act, with a bipartisan vote of 248-163. This bipartisan package of bills will expand American energy production on federal lands and create new American jobs by streamlining government red-tape and regulations. It will also set long term production goals to establish a real all-of-the-above American energy…