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Press Release

Committee Democrats Block Government Oversight Requests

WASHINGTON, D.C., September 21, 2022 | Committee Press Office (202-225-2761)
  • OI Subcommittee

Today, the House Committee on Natural Resources reconvened a markup and held votes on the five Resolutions of Inquiry (ROIs) submitted by Republican committee members. Ranking Member Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.) issued the following statement in response:

"After a busy summer hearing from the men and women in my district and other parts of the country, it's clear all Americans feel the burden of Democrats' failed policies. For almost two years, the Biden administration has largely failed to satisfy oversight requests. The ROIs put forth by myself and my colleagues would simply publicize basic information the administration should already be providing to Americans. Given that committee Democrats chose to vote against these resolutions, it's clear they would rather prioritize party politics over legitimate oversight of the Biden administration's failing policies."

Background

ROIs are House resolutions that seek factual information from the executive branch and have privileged status under House rules. After an ROI is introduced, the committee of jurisdiction has 14 legislative days to consider the ROI or the resolution may be discharged and receive privileged consideration on the House floor. ROIs serve as a tool to seek factual information from the executive branch.

For more than two years, House Democrats restricted ROIs, motions to instruct (MTIs), and the Committee of the Whole, yet reversed course and allowed them again in a rules change over the summer.

 

The five Republican-authored ROIs highlight areas Democrats ignored this Congress, andaddress Republican requests for information that have been unanswered by the Biden administration.

 

The ROIs committee Democrats voted downinclude:

  • H.Res. 1247, introduced by U.S. Rep. Garret Graves (R-La.), which would direct the Secretary of the Interior to transmit certain documents to the House of Representatives relating to the 2023-2028 five-year program for offshore oil and gas leasing.
  • H.Res. 1248, introduced by U.S. Rep. Yvette Herrell (R-N.M.), which would direct the Secretary of the Interior to transmit certain documents to the House of Representatives relating to the compliance with the obligations of the Mineral Leasing Act relating to onshore oil and gas leasing.
  • H.Res. 1251, introduced by U.S. Rep. Pete Stauber (R-Minn.), which would direct the Secretary of Agriculture to transmit certain documents to the House of Representatives relating to the mineral withdrawal within the Superior National Forest.
  • H.Res. 1252, introduced by U.S. Rep. Pete Stauber (R-Minn.), which would direct the Secretary of the Interior to transmit certain documents to the House of Representatives relating to the mineral withdrawal within the Superior National Forest.
  • H.Res. 1253, introduced by U.S. Rep. Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.), which would direct the Secretary of the Interior to transmit certain documents to the House of Representatives relating to the actions of the Department of the Interior's Departmental Ethics Office.