Today, House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Doc Hastings (WA-04) released the following statement following passage of H.R. 4, the Jobs for America Act, by a bipartisan vote of 253-163. This legislation included H.R. 1526, the Restoring Heathy Forests for Healthy Communities Act, sponsored by Chairman Doc Hastings and H.R. 761, the National Strategic and Critical Minerals Production Act of 2013, sponsored by Rep. Mark Amodei (NV 02).

“Today, the House not only renewed its commitment to create jobs in America, but renewed its commitment to rural communities dependent on our national forests for their livelihoods, renewed its commitment to restore forest health and to prevent catastrophic wildfire, and renewed its commitment to more efficiently develop our nation’s critical and strategic minerals. This legislation includes important measures to create a long-term, sustainable solution to the mismanagement of our federal forests by requiring responsible timber production and to cut red-tape, frivolous lawsuits, and the burdensome permitting process for mineral development.  America’s natural resources, including our National forests and critical and strategic mineral reserves, continue to serve as an economic engine, job creator, and backbone to our modern industrialized economy. It’s now time for the Senate to act on these important job-creating measures.”

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