House Natural Resources Committee Democrats are making inaccurate statements and claims when describing H.R. 1229, the Get the Gulf Back to Work Act H.R. 1231 and the Reversing President Obama’s Offshore Moratorium Act. Below are just a few of the myths recently purported in a Committee hearing where an economist testified that Chairman Hastings’ three offshore energy bills could create… Read more »

Today, during the Energy and Mineral Resources Subcommittee hearing on Chairman Doc Hastings’ three bills to expand offshore energy production, Dr. Joseph Mason, economist and professor at Louisiana State University, stated that Hastings’ bills will have “substantial job benefits” - creating 250,000 jobs short-term during the exploration and development phase, and 1.2 million jobs… Read more »

House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Doc Hastings (WA-04) delivered the following opening statement at today’s Energy and Minerals Subcommittee legislative hearing on H.R. 1229 the Putting the Gulf Back to Work Act, H.R. 1230 the Restarting American Offshore Leasing Now Act, and H.R. 1231 the Reversing President Obama’s Offshore Moratorium Act: “Thank you Subcommittee Chairman… Read more »

Dear Secretary Vilsack: In the Fall 2010 Unified Agenda of Regulatory and Deregulatory Actions, the U.S. Forest Service indicated its intention to promulgate new regulations on the "Management of National Forest System Surface Resources with Privately Held Mineral Estates." We are concerned that this rulemaking will dramatically increase the regulatory burden on oil and natural gas… Read more »

On Monday, April 18th the House Natural Resources Committee will hold a Full Committee oversight field hearing in Houma, LA entitled “Gulf of Mexico: A Focus on Community Recovery and New Response Technology.” “This field hearing is an opportunity for Congress to listen to the people, communities and businesses in the Gulf of Mexico that were directly impacted by the tragic rig… Read more »

Today, the House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources held an oversight hearing on the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the U.S. Forest Service’s energy and minerals programs. The hearing focused on Obama Administration roadblocks to onshore energy production on public lands and the impacts to job creation and the economy – especially in the West. The… Read more »

Getting the Gulf Coast back to work April 2, 2011 The Times-Picayune Op-Ed By Rep. Doc Hastings As gasoline prices continue to surge towards $4 a gallon and unemployment lingers near 9 percent, Americans are seeing the consequences of the Obama administration's policies that have prevented access to our own American energy sources. Despite President Obama's talk of increasing… Read more »

ABC News reported today that gasoline prices have increased for seven straight weeks and that the national average price has reached the highest amount ever recorded in the month of March. Responding to this news, House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Doc Hastings (WA-04) continued to call for increased American energy production to create jobs and lower prices. “Americans are… Read more »

House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Doc Hastings (WA-04) and Energy and Minerals Subcommittee Chairman Doug Lamborn (CO-05) continued an investigation into the Office of Surface Mining’s rewrite of a coal mining rule by sending a letter today to Interior Department Secretary Ken Salazar requesting documents and information regarding the Administration’s proposed rule rewrite and… Read more »

Dear Secretary Salazar: The Committee on Natural Resources (Committee) is actively investigating issues surrounding the Department of the Interior's Office of Surface Mining, Reclamation and Enforcement (OSM) rewrite of the 2008 Stream Buffer Zone Rule (Rule). Through this letter, we request information and cooperation regarding communication between the Department of the Interior (DOl)… Read more »