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Today, the Congressional Western Caucus Executive Committee unanimously elected Executive Vice Chair Doug LaMalfa (CA-01) to serve as the Caucus’ Chairman for the 119th Congress. Chairman Dan Newhouse (WA-04) and Chairman-Elect LaMalfa released the following statements after the election. “I want to offer my sincere congratulations to my good friend Doug LaMalfa on his election as Chairman of the ... Read More »

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressional Western Caucus Chairman Dan Newhouse (WA-04) and Rep. Russ Fulcher (ID-01) released the following statements celebrating the passage of H.R.1449 – Committing Leases for Energy Access Now Act (CLEAN Act). This legislation requires the Department of the Interior (DOI) to increase lease sales under the Geothermal Steam Act of 1970 and establishes deadlines to c... Read More »

Today, Congressional Western Caucus Chairman Dan Newhouse (WA-04) and Senate Western Caucus Chair Cynthia Lummis (WY) released the following statements responding to the U.S. Department of the Interior’s (DOI) Final Environmental Impact Statement and amendments to 77 resource management plans on sage grouse habitat, which impacts up to 69 million acres across several Western states. “The Biden Adm... Read More »

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressional Western Caucus Chairman Dan Newhouse (WA-04) and Rep. Juan Ciscomani (AZ-06) released the following statements celebrating the passage of H.R.8446 – the Critical Mineral Consistency Act of 2024. This legislation simplifies and streamlines interagency coordination between the United States Geological Survey (USGS) and the Department of Energy (DOE) in determi... Read More »

Today, Congressional Western Caucus Chairman Dan Newhouse (WA-04) released a statement on the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) final Waste Emissions Charge rule. “The lame-duck Biden Administration will do everything they can to sabotage traditional energy sources in their final days,” said Chairman Newhouse. “The EPA’s Waste Emissions Charge rule will further increase energy costs by placi... Read More »

This piece was originally published in the Washington Reporter. Since day one of the Biden-Harris administration, the American West has been under attack. Between stringent regulations, land withdrawals intentionally designed to lock up resource-rich swathes of land in the West, and a relentless assault on American energy production, the Biden-Harris administration has implemented policies that ma... Read More »

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Western Caucus Chairman Dan Newhouse (WA-04) released the following statement on the Supreme Court's decision to deny a stay request and allow the Biden-Harris Administration's Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) power plant greenhouse gas rule, known as the Clean Power Plant 2.0, to move forward. “I am disappointed with the decision by the Supreme Court and trust tha... Read More »

The Environmental Impact of the Biden-Harris Border Crisis By Rep. Juan Ciscomani (AZ-06) America’s southern border is in crisis and our public lands are bearing the brunt. The policy failures of the Biden-Harris administration have made communities in my district less safe and harmed the environment along the southern border. In Arizona, more than 80 percent of public lands are managed by federal... Read More »

We Need a Farm Bill Signed Into Law Before 2025 By Rep. Randy Feenstra (IA-04) Over the last few years, the agriculture economy has taken a turn for the worse. Commodity prices have fallen below producers’ break-even points, our agricultural trade deficit has eclipsed $43 billion, farm debt stands at a record $540 billion, and inflation combined with high interest rates continue to squeeze profit ... Read More »

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Western Caucus Members participated in a Natural Resources Subcommittee on Water, Wildlife, and Fisheries field hearing on the need to protect water supplies, address water shortages for farmers and ranchers in the region and throughout the country, and the importance of reforming the Endangered Species Act (ESA). Chairman Dan Newhouse (WA-04), Vice Chair Celeste Maloy (U... Read More »

This piece was originally published in the Washington Examiner. One of the more extreme left-wing ideas you may have heard is “environmental justice.” Contrary to its name, this buzzword is yet another effort by the Biden-Harris administration to block traditional energy and infrastructure projects. If the administration cared about bringing prosperity to low-income communities, it would drop its ... Read More »

Today, Western Caucus Chairman Dan Newhouse (WA-04), Vice Chair Celeste Maloy (UT-02), and Representatives John Curtis (UT-03), Blake Moore (UT-01) and Burgess Owens (UT-04) released the following statements responding to the U.S. Department of the Interior’s (DOI) Final Environmental Impact Statement and Proposed Resource Management Plan (RMP) for the Bears Ears National Monument, which encompass... Read More »

This piece was originally published in the Federal Newswire. The Antiquities Act was enacted in 1906 to preserve our nation’s natural treasures that are of “historic or scientific interest.” Unfortunately, as time has passed, the law has been abused by the executive branch to lock up lands across the West, threatening private landowners, recreational opportunities and resource development alike. I... Read More »

Expanding Free National Park Access for Gold Star Families By Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer (OR-05) Our nation’s stunning national parks welcome millions of visitors from the United States and around the world every year. From hiking and fishing to sightseeing and wildlife viewing, they present refreshing opportunities to connect with nature. I’m proud to represent Oregon, where we have some of the bes... Read More »

This piece was originally published in Agri-Pulse. In its 50 years, the Endangered Species Act has only recovered around 3% of listed species. Only the federal government would consider that a success story. It is abundantly clear the ESA has failed in its intended mission of species recovery. The only area in which the law has succeeded is as a mechanism for environmental activists to impede, del... Read More »