Today, the House Committee on Natural Resources announced an oversight hearing during which U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) Secretary Deb Haaland will testify before the committee for the first time since June 2021. House Committee on Natural Resources Chairman Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.) issued the following statement in response:

"Oversight of government agencies is a crucial part of our congressional responsibilities. We're inviting Secretary Haaland to Capitol Hill to answer for her agency’s ongoing war on American energy, lack of transparency, vague and undefined goals like the 30x30 initiative and much more. Just this past week, Secretary Haaland claimed that energy independence is a priority for the administration, yet DOI continues to hamstring projects like the Twin Metals mine, which would provide vital resources for America and our allies. Given the fact that Secretary Haaland’s agency failed to respond to almost 200 requests for information last Congress, I look forward to hearing her answer our questions and provide a full account of upcoming administrative actions."

Background

On Wednesday, April 19, 2023, at 10:00 am EST in 1324 Longworth House Office Building, the House Committee on Natural Resources will hold an oversight hearing titled Examining the President's FY 2024 Budget Request for the Department of the Interior. The hearing will be livestreamed and open to the press and members of the public.