WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Doc Hastings (WA-04) issued a subpoena to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) seeking documents surrounding the process and science behind the decision to list the White Bluffs bladderpod as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act. The Committee first requested documents on March 7, 2014 and, after the FWS missed the initial March 21, 2014 deadline, Chairman Hastings warned FWS Director Dan Ashe at a March 26th Full Committee hearing that a subpoena would be issued if the FWS did not fully comply by April 2nd. While some information has been provided, the majority of the document requests remain unanswered. Read more »
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, the Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources held an oversight hearing on “Energy Independence: Domestic Opportunities to Reverse California’s Growing Dependence on Foreign Oil.” Overall, the United States is importing less oil than any point in the past decade, yet California’s foreign oil imports have dramatically increased. Today’s hearing focused on the drastic increase in foreign oil imports in California and the opportunities within the state for significant energy production. Read more »
WASHINGTON, D.C. - House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Doc Hastings (WA-04), Rep. Cynthia Lummis (Wyoming-at large), Rep. Randy Neugebauer (TX-19), and Rep. Bill Huizenga (MI-02) today introduced four limited bills to improve and update the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The bills are supported by all of the Members of the ESA Congressional Working Group, representing districts across the nation, and are based on the recommendations and findings of their report and input from a broad array of stakeholders, including the Western Governors’ Association. The four bills focus on transparency and species recovery. Read more »
Washington, DC – Today, Republican U.S. Congressman Steve Pearce (NM-02) and Democrat U.S. Congressman Beto O’Rourke (TX-16) introduced the Border Enforcement, Accountability, Oversight, and Community Engagement Act of 2014. Read more »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today Congressman Kevin Cramer introduced the Natural Gas Gathering Enhancement Act in the U.S. House of Representatives. The legislation would reduce the loss of natural gas due to flaring and venting by expediting permits for pipelines on Federal and Indian land. The companion bill was introduced in the Senate earlier this month by Senators John Hoeven (ND), John Barrasso (WY), and Mike Enzi (WY). Read more »
WASHINGTON, DC — Congressman Randy Neugebauer (R-TX) introduced legislation today that will improve the Endangered Species Act (ESA). H.R. 4284, the ESA Improvement Act of 2014, empowers state and local agencies to protect and restore species and prevent costly listings. Read more »
WASHINGTON D.C. – Next week, the House of Representatives will consider H.R. 1459, the Ensuring Public Involvement in the Creation of National Monuments Act. This legislation ensures that the American people have the opportunity to participate in the decision-making process leading up to a new national monument designation. The legislation ensures that when presidents make a national monument declaration, it is done transparently and with the application of the nation’s primary public involvement law, the National Environmental Protection Act (NEPA). Read more »
Washington, D.C. - Today, the House Natural Resources Committee held an oversight field hearing in Fresno, CA on “California Water Crisis and Its Impacts: The Need for Immediate and Long-Term Solutions.” At the hearing, Members and witnesses discussed the need to resolve differences and pass legislation to bring immediate and long-term water supplies to California. In February, the House passed H.R. 3964, The Sacramento-San Joaquin Valley Water Reliability Act, a bill aimed at restoring long-term water supplies. The Senate has not acted on this bill or any bill to mitigate water problems for the state of California. Read more »
WASHINGTON D.C. - Following a meeting on Thursday to help resolve the California water crisis, Republican House Members representing parts of the Central Valley and other areas reiterated that they stand ready to negotiate with the Senate on legislation to help resolve the drought through short-term and long-term measures. Such measures could include storage authorization provisions in H.R. 3964, the Sacramento–San Joaquin Valley Emergency Water Delivery Act, which recently passed in the House of Representatives to provide drought relief. Read more »
Washington, D.C. - Today, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) released its Programmatic Environment Impact Statement (PEIS) on Atlantic Geological and Geophysical Activities. This long-overdue report has been tied up for nearly five years by bureaucratic delays but is imperative in allowing seismic testing in the Atlantic Outer Continental Shelf (OCS), a practice used to research oil and gas below the earth’s surface and a crucial step for offshore energy exploration. Congressman Duncan had this to say: Read more »
