Today, President Obama unilaterally designated three new national monuments in the California desert: Sand to Snow National Monument, Mojave Trails National Monument, and Castle Mountains National Monument. Chairman Rob Bishop (R-UT) issued the following statement:
“This is presidential bullying. The intent of the Antiquities Act is not to act as the President’s magic wand to commandeer… Read more »
Today, the House Committee on Natural Resources released a Majority staff report detailing information uncovered during the Committee’s ongoing investigation of the EPA’s Gold King Mine blowout near Silverton, Colorado in August 2015.
The 73-page report documents the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) and the Department of the Interior’s (DOI) inaccurate and misleading accounts of… Read more »
Yesterday, the Supreme Court stayed the Obama Administration’s Clean Power Plan in a 5-4 decision. Chairman Bishop (R-UT) issued the following statement:
“Much of the President’s unilateral agenda, including efforts to stomp out coal without going through Congress, will ultimately be gutted by the courts.
“This ruling is one small win for impoverished coal communities and all… Read more »
Today, the Subcommittee on Water, Power and Oceans held an oversight hearing titled, “The Costly Impacts of Predation and Conflicting Federal Statues on Nature and Endangered Fish Species.”
The panel outlined how conflicting federal laws encourage predation of fish species listed under the federal Endangered Species Act (ESA).
“The status quo may be working for sea lions and… Read more »
Today, the Obama Administration released its budget proposal for the 2017 fiscal year. Chairman Bishop (R-UT) issued the following statement:
“To defend this budget would require spin with dexterity that only a Las Vegas contortionist can accomplish,” Bishop said.
On Energy:
“President Obama stubs out the last bit of leverage the country has from our recent energy renaissance and… Read more »
Puerto Rico and its top advisers made their case in Washington on Friday for a law that would allow broad restructuring of the island’s multibillion-dollar debt, saying that if Congress did not act soon, major defaults were likely this spring.
The officials also said they knew that any legislative help would come at a stiff price: Puerto Rico would have to submit to a federal control… Read more »
Today, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Marine Fisheries Service announced the finalization of a new policy for defining and designating critical habitat under the Endangered Species Act. Chairman Bishop (R-UT) issued the following statement:
“Just like we saw with WOTUS, this is another power grab. The new definition injects even more ambiguity and confusion into an… Read more »
Today, the Committee on Natural Resources passed H.R. 3036 (Rep. Tom MacArthur, R-NJ), the “National 9/11 Memorial at the World Trade Center Act,” legislation designating the National September 11 Memorial located at the World Trade Center site in New York City, New York, as a national memorial. The legislation passed by unanimous consent in today’s Full Committee markup.
“Rep. MacArthur… Read more »
To understand how Puerto Rico’s power authority has piled up $9 billion in debt, one need only visit this bustling city on the northwest coast.
Twenty years ago, it was just another town with dwindling finances. Then, it went on a development spree, thanks to a generous —some might say ill-considered — gift from the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority.
Today, Aguadilla has 19… Read more »
