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Republican Members Push for Commonsense Northern Long-Eared Bat Regulations
Press Release
Dec 7, 2022 - Today, House Committee on Natural Resources Ranking Member Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.) and U.S. Reps. Tom Tiffany (R-Wis.) and Pete Stauber (R-Minn.) led a letter to congressional appropriators, requesting that any year-end funding package prohibit federal funding for the listing of the northern long-eared bat (NLEB) as ... More

Westerman, Wittman Introduce Legislation Protecting Hunting, Fishing Access for Sportsmen
Press Release
Sep 30, 2022 - Today, House Committee on Natural Resources Ranking Member Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.), U.S. Rep. Rob Wittman (R-Va.) and 34 other members introduced the Protecting Access for Hunters and Anglers Act of 2022. "Some of my earliest memories are of hunting and fishing near my home in Arkansas, so it's extremely alarming to ... More

Committee Democrats Vote Down Proposals Strengthening National Security, Local Fisheries
Press Release
Sep 29, 2022 - Today, the House Committee on Natural Resources held votes on the Sustaining America's Fisheries for the Future Act of 2022, finishing a markup begun on Sept. 22, 2022. Committee Ranking Member Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.) issued the following statement in response: "No matter where you live in the U.S., you enjoy the prod... More

Committee Democrats Politicize Historically Bipartisan Fisheries Law
Press Release
Sep 21, 2022 - Today, House Committee on Natural Resources Democrats held a markup on H.R. 4690, sponsored by U.S. Rep. Jared Huffman (D-Calif.). Ranking Member Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.) issued the following statement in response: "My good friend and colleague, the late Congressman Young, shepherded the Magnuson-Stevens Act through th... More

Democrats Continue Prioritizing Cats Over Crises
Press Release
Jul 29, 2022 - Today, the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 263, the Big Cat Public Safety Act. House Committee on Natural Resources Ranking Member Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.) issued the following statement in response: "Big cats should not take precedence over lowering energy costs, securing our southern border, correcting skyr... More

Western Drought Impacts Every American
Press Release
May 11, 2022 - Today, House Committee on Natural Resources Ranking Member Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.) led a Republican forum titled "How Western Drought Affects Every American." "It's clear that the severe drought has further tightened its grip on many western communities," Westerman said. "For example, communities in the Klamath regio... More

African Leaders Testify on Behalf of International Conservation Efforts
Press Release
Nov 18, 2021 - Today, House Committee on Natural Resources Ranking Member Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.) led a Republican forum titled "Supporting African Communities: Highlighting International Conservation Efforts Worldwide." "It may seem counterintuitive to those not familiar with our North American hunting heritage, but legal hunting ... More

House Republicans Introduce Endangered Species Act Legislation
Press Release
Oct 26, 2021 - Today, House Committee on Natural Resources Ranking Member Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.) joined U.S. Reps. Dan Newhouse (R-Wash.), Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.), Cliff Bentz (R-Ore.), Yvette Herrell (R-N.M.)and Ken Buck (R-Colo.)in introducing five bills to codify Trump-era Endangered Species Act (ESA) regulations. This follows a B... More

Westerman Criticizes Biden Administration's California Water Decision
Press Release
Oct 3, 2021 - This week, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation reinitiated consultation of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and National Marine Fisheries Service 2019 biological opinions related to the coordinated long-term operation of the Central Valley Project and State Water Project. House Committee on Natural Resources Ranking Membe... More

Westerman Decries Finalized MBTA Rule
Press Release
Sep 29, 2021 - Today, the U.S. Department of the Interior finalized a proposed rule regarding the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA), which would repeal the Trump administration's January 2021 rulemaking. House Committee on Natural Resources Ranking Member Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.) issued the following statement in response: "It's disap... More

Republican Members Denounce Unnecessary Gray Wolf Review
Press Release
Sep 16, 2021 - This week, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) completed initial reviews of two petitions from special interest groups to list the gray wolf under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) in the western United States. USFWS announced it will be conducting a 12-month comprehensive status review, despite robust state-led ... More

Committee Democrats Silence Debate on Reconciliation Instructions
Press Release
Sep 9, 2021 - Washington - Today, the House Committee on Natural Resources continued marking up the Natural Resources title of the House's Fiscal Year 2022 budget reconciliation legislation. While committee Republicans were still offering amendments to the legislation, Chairman Raúl Grijalva (D-Ariz.) ended debate through an amendme... More

Committee Democrats Reject Commonsense Amendments
Press Release
Sep 2, 2021 - Today, the House Committee on Natural Resources began marking up the Natural Resources title of the House's Fiscal Year 2022 budget reconciliation legislation. Ranking Member Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.) issued the following statement: "This reconciliation package is a bad bill with bad timing, plain and simple. During a t... More

Republican Committee Leaders Urge Grijalva to Postpone Markup
Press Release
Aug 30, 2021 - Today, House Committee on Natural Resources Ranking Member Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.) led the committee's Republican leadership in a letter urging Chairman Raúl Grijalva (D-Ariz.) to postpone the upcoming full committee markup in light of the urgent crises facing Americans. In part, the members wrote: "We have grave conc... More

Westerman Leads Special Order on Western Drought Crisis
Press Release
Jul 29, 2021 - Today, House Committee on Natural Resources Ranking Member Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.) led a special order on the House floor, where members showcased the devastating consequences this administration's inaction on western water is having during a severe drought season. "For months now, we have sounded the alarm, only to b... More

As Drought Crisis Grows, Republicans Call on Administration to Take Action
Press Release
Jul 23, 2021 - Today, House Committee on Natural Resources Ranking Member Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.) joined Western Caucus Chairman Dan Newhouse (R-Wash.), House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) and other Republican members in a letter to U.S. Department of the Interior Secretary Deb Haaland and U.S. Department of Agriculture ... More

Expanding Northern Spotted Owl Habitat Will Inhibit Species Recovery
Press Release
Jul 20, 2021 - Today, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) issued a proposed rule to withdraw a 2021 Trump administration rule that would have excluded 3.4 million acres of critical habitat for the northern spotted owl. "Yet again, this administration is backing an anti-science proposal that will only make the problem worse. The ... More

Committee Republicans Advance Bipartisan Bills, Offer Amendments to Dangerous Legislation
Press Release
Jul 14, 2021 - Today, the House Committee on Natural Resources held a markup, reporting a total of 14 bills out of committee. Twelve of these bills were bipartisan - including U.S. Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks' (R-Iowa) recently-introduced Veterans in Parks (VIP) Act - and passed by unanimous consent. However, committee Democrats al... More

Westerman Criticizes Biden Administration’s Proposed ESA Regulations
Press Release
Jun 4, 2021 - Today, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) announced it will be rolling back a significant portion of Endangered Species Act (ESA) reforms put in place by the Trump administration. House Committee on Natural Resources Ranking Member Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.) issued the following statement in response: "Today's ESA ... More

DOI's Priorities Show Lack of Commitment to American Economy, Environment
Press Release
May 28, 2021 - Today, the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) released its budget proposal for Fiscal Year 2022. House Committee on Natural Resources Ranking Member Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.) issued the following statement in response: "It's very telling that the administration chose to roll out their budget more than three months be... More

Committee Republicans Offer Amendments to Lopsided, Partisan Legislation
Press Release
May 26, 2021 - Today, the House Committee on Natural Resources held a markup, reporting a total of eight bills out of committee. Several of these bills were bipartisan, and passed by unanimous consent: H.R. 438, sponsored by U.S. Rep. Don Young (R-Alaska), amends the Alyce Spotted Bear and Walter Soboleff Commission on Native Childre... More

Farmers, Other Westerners Testify on Impacts of Catastrophic Drought
Press Release
May 19, 2021 - Today, House Committee on Natural Resources Ranking Member Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.) and Water, Oceans and Wildlife Subcommittee Ranking Member Cliff Bentz (R-Ore.) led a forum on the catastrophic drought situation across the American West. "It says a lot that we have a diverse collection of western members and witnesse... More

Westerman Denounces Proposed MBTA Rule
Press Release
May 6, 2021 - Today, the Department of the Interior (DOI) announced a proposed rule to revoke the final regulation regarding the incidental take of migratory birds under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA). House Committee on Natural Resources Ranking Member Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.) issued the following statement in response: "Legi... More

Westerman Denounces Rollback of MBTA Rule
Press Release
Feb 4, 2021 - Today, House Committee on Natural Resources Ranking Member Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.) issued the following statement in response to the Department of the Interior’s delay of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA): “If a migratory bird dives down and gets caught in fishing net, this shouldn’t make the fisherman a felon. If ... More

Bishop Statement on Western Water Presidential Memo
Press Release
Oct 19, 2018 - Today, House Committee on Natural Resources Chairman Rob Bishop (R-Utah) issued the following statement after the release of a presidential memorandum seeking to enhance western water access and resources. “For many years, westerners have expressed their need for certainty and access to water and affordable, renewable ... More

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January 26,2023

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January 25,2023

Committee Issues Inaugural Oversight Request

Today, House Committee on Natural Resources Republicans, led by Chairman Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.), issued their first oversight letter for the 118th Congress. In part, the members wrote: "Natural Reso...... Read more about Committee Issues Inaugural Oversight Request

January 17,2023

Westerman Welcomes Committee Members for 118th Congress

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