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Energy and Mineral Resources

Hastings Statement on the One-Year Anniversary of Gulf Oil Spill

| Posted in Press Release

House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Doc Hastings (WA-04) released the following statement on the one-year anniversary of the Deepwater Horizon explosion and subsequent oil spill: “This is a time to remember the eleven men who tragically lost their lives and the families who lost their loved ones. This week, the Committee travelled to Louisiana to examine the status of recovery…

CNN Poll: 69% of Americans Support Increased Offshore Drilling

| Posted in Blog

According to a new CNN/Opinion Research Corporation survey released today, support for increased offshore drilling is on the rise. Here are some key findings from the poll: 69 percent of Americans favor increased offshore drilling That 69 percent is up 20 points from last June, while the oil spill was still in progress, and is back to the level of support seen in the summer of…

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: In Addition to Saving Taxpayers Billions, CR will Keep Public Lands Open and Strengthen Offshore Drilling Safety

| Posted in Press Release

House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Doc Hastings (WA-04) released the following statement today regarding passage of H.R. 1473, the Continuing Resolution that funds the federal government through FY2011 and cuts spending by nearly $40 billion: “This bill is the first step in getting our Nation’s fiscal house in order and sends a strong signal to the American people that Congress…

Putting the Gulf of Mexico Back to Work Act (H.R.1229)

| Posted in Committee Votes

Reporting H.R. 1229 Out of Committee (Passed 27-16. View Roll Call Vote) This bill would end the Administration’s de facto moratorium in the Gulf of Mexico in a safe, responsible, transparent manner by setting firm time-lines for considering permits to drill. It reforms current law by requiring the Secretary to issue a permit to drill and also requiring the Secretary to conduct a safety…

Restarting American Offshore Leasing Now Act (H.R. 1230)

| Posted in Committee Votes

Reporting H.R. 1230 Out of Committee (Passed 29-14. View Roll Call Vote) This bill would require the Administration to move forward promptly to conduct offshore lease sales in the Gulf of Mexico and offshore Virginia that the Obama Administration has delayed or canceled. Holt Amendment #A –Revise to Requirements for Satisfying National Environmental Policy Act (Failed 12-28. View Roll…

Reversing President Obama’s Offshore Moratorium Act (H.R. 1231)

| Posted in Committee Votes

Reporting H.R. 1231 Out of Committee (Passed 29-14. View Roll Call Vote) This bill would lift the President’s ban on new offshore drilling by requiring the Administration to move forward in the 2012-2017 lease plan with energy production in areas containing the most oil and natural gas resources. The bill sets a production goal of 3 million barrels of oil per day by 2027, which would…

Markup Update #2: Natural Resources Committee Passes Three Energy Bills to Create Jobs and Lower Gasoline Prices

| Posted in Press Release

The House Natural Resources Committee today passed three energy bills with bipartisan support that are a part of House Republicans' American Energy Initiative. These bills (H.R. 1229, H.R. 1230 and H.R. 1231) will expand American energy production, create jobs and lower gasoline prices by reversing Obama Administration policies that have placed our American energy resources…

Markup Update #1: Natural Resources Committee Passes Bill (H.R. 1229) to Put the Gulf Back to Work, Address Rising Gasoline Prices

| Posted in Press Release

The House Natural Resources Committee this morning passed H.R. 1229, the Putting the Gulf Back to Work Act, by a bipartisan vote of 27 to 16. This bill ends the Administration’s de facto moratorium in the Gulf of Mexico in a responsible, transparent manner by reforming current law to improve safety and setting firm time-lines for considering permits to drill. “With the passage of this…

As Gas Prices Keep Climbing Higher, Natural Resources Committee to Act on Bills to Boost Offshore American Energy Production

| Posted in Press Release

House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Doc Hastings (WA-04) today released the following statement after some energy experts predicted gasoline prices could reach $5 per gallon by Memorial Day weekend. “Gas prices are closing in on record levels, threatening our economy as the peak driving season approaches. From parents driving kids to school, to farmers working crops in Spring, to…