As America’s dependence on foreign oil is highlighted by increased gasoline prices due to political unrest in North Africa and the Middle East, a newly released study confirms what Natural Resources Republicans have been telling President Obama for two years: Increased American energy production creates jobs, increases American energy security and helps reduce our national… Read more »

An Illegal Drilling Ban Does Ken Salazar think he's above the law? February 24, 2011 Wall Street Journal Editorial Remember the BP oil spill and its aftermath? Folks remember it on the Gulf Coast, where late last week a federal judge ruled that the Obama Administration is imposing a de facto ban on deep water drilling that is "unreasonable, unacceptable, and unjustified." Federal… Read more »

Chairman Doc Hastings and Energy and Minerals Subcommittee Chairman Doug Lamborn sent the following letter to Gulf State Committee Members today notifying them of the Committee’s intention to hold upcoming hearings on the President’s de facto drilling moratorium and the slow-walking of permits. The letter specifically highlights the following new upcoming Committee activities: … Read more »

Dear Gulf State Committee Member, In discussing the work of the Natural Resources Committee, we've heard directly from you, and other Members of Congress from the Gulf region, who are concerned over the Obama Administration's refusal to issue new shallow and deep water drilling permits in a timely, efficient manner. Indeed, the Department of the Interior has even been held in contempt by… Read more »

*Source: Energy Information Administration Political turmoil in the Middle East, most recently in Egypt and Libya, is putting the United States’ already tenuous energy security on more fragile ground. The recent waves of political uprisings in Northern Africa and the Middle East have sparked concern of lost crude oil production, which in turn could cause U.S. gasoline prices to spike.… Read more »

On Tuesday, March 1st the House Natural Resources Committee will hold a Full Committee oversight hearing on “The Impact of the Administration’s Wild Lands Order on Jobs and Economic Growth.” The Wild Lands policy, established by Secretarial Order, is an attempt by the Interior Department to establish de facto Wilderness areas without Congressional approval. “This is a prime example of why… Read more »

Today, the Obama Administration’s de facto drilling moratorium in the Gulf of Mexico was once again struck down in Federal Court. U.S. District Judge Martin Feldman granted a preliminary injunction requiring that the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement (BOEMRE) act within 30 days on five pending permit applications from Ensco. “The court has now clearly found… Read more »

House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Doc Hastings (WA-04) released the following statement regarding today’s White House event on America’s Great Outdoors: “America has a responsibility to care for our treasured public lands and ensure that they are there for future generations to enjoy. Proper conservation requires a balanced approach. This means protecting and maintaining the… Read more »

House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Doc Hastings (WA-04) released the following statement after Interior Secretary Ken Salazar announced that the Department plans to review the current rules for commercial oil shale leasing: “This redundant step is yet another example of the Obama Administration proactively stopping American job-creating energy projects before they can begin. The… Read more »

Regulations stifle drilling, push gas prices up at pump February 15, 2011 The Hill Rep. Doc Hastings, Chairman House Natural Resources Committee Americans across the country are facing rising gasoline prices that are squeezing families’ monthly budgets and businesses’ ability to prosper and create jobs. There’s a growing anxiety that, like the summer of 2008, prices will once again… Read more »