Lawmakers: Egypt shows U.S. should start drilling 1/31/2011 Houston Chronicle Jennifer Dlouhy Civil unrest in Egypt and fears about a shutdown of oil shipments through the Suez Canal are stoking higher crude prices and calls in Congress for expanding domestic energy production. Rep. Doc Hastings, R-Wash., the head of the House Natural Resources Committee, said the Egyptian turmoil is… Read more »

GOP lawmakers demand repeal of wilderness policy January 31, 2011 E&E News Phil Taylor Nearly 60 Republican lawmakers, mostly from the West, on Friday asked Interior Secretary Ken Salazar to rescind a new policy that directs field managers to inventory and protect wilderness-quality lands, arguing that it would significantly affect rural economies. In a letter from the Western… Read more »

House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Doc Hastings (WA-04) is leading a bipartisan, multi-state effort to protect farmers and foresters in Washington state and across the country whose livelihoods are threatened by new burdensome federal regulations. Hastings, along with 17 Members of Congress, sent a letter to Chair of the Council of Environmental Quality Nancy Sutley asking her to… Read more »

Dear Chairwoman Sutley, We write to express our concerns and request your immediate attention regarding the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) and the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) flawed consultation process resulting in biological opinions (bi-ops) and regulations that will significantly restrict the use of critical crop… Read more »

House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Doc Hastings (WA-04) delivered the following opening statement at today’s Full Committee Oversight hearing on the President’s National Oil Spill Commission findings and recommendations: “It’s been nine months since the horrific explosion and oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico that resulted in the death of 11 men and the burning and sinking of the… Read more »

House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Doc Hastings (WA-04) released the following statement regarding the President’s State of the Union address: “The President spoke at length tonight on the need to increase our economic competiveness and create new jobs. However, it’s the spending and job-destroying policies of his Administration that are jeopardizing our economic future. “Today,… Read more »

House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Doc Hastings (WA-04) released the following statement praising House passage of H. Res. 38, a resolution to reduce non-security spending to Fiscal Year 2008 levels or less: Read more »

Greater New Orleans, Inc. recently released a Gulf Permit Index (GPI) that shows the Obama Administration is in no hurry to issue drilling permits in the Gulf of Mexico and end the de facto moratorium that has left thousands of Americans out of work. GNO, Inc. found that to date only two deep water permits have been issued since the deep water drilling moratorium was officially listed… Read more »

House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Doc Hastings (WA-04) is upholding Speaker Boehner’s promise to the American people of openness and transparency in the way the 112th Congress conducts its business. Today, Chairman Hastings announced that video cameras will be installed this year in the Committee’s secondary hearing room in 1334 Longworth. Currently, only Committee activities… Read more »

House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Doc Hastings (WA-04) today announced the subcommittee assignments for the Republican Members of the Natural Resources Committee for the 112th Congress. “The Natural Resources Committee has broad jurisdiction that allows our Members to use their individual talents and expertise to work on policies and issues that will help create jobs, grow the… Read more »