Washington, D.C. (March 20, 2015) – Today Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell released a final rule regulating hydraulic fracturing on federal lands. The rule unnecessarily duplicates the regulation of hydraulic fracturing by state governments, in the process adding costly red tape and bureaucratic uncertainty to the oil and gas permitting process on federal lands.
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Washington, D.C. (March 19, 2015) – As part of his 2016 budget proposal in February, President Obama unveiled a plan to divert billions of dollars in gulf state offshore oil and gas revenue to other federal programs. The proposal would override the Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act (GOMESA), a bipartisan 2006 law ensuring gulf states receive a 37.5 percent share of oil and gas royalties from production in waters off their states’ shores. In late February, a group of Members of Congress joined the refrain in an unpublicized letter to the Chairman and Ranking Member of the Budget Committee recently obtained by E&E News. Read more »
Washington, D.C. (March 18, 2015) – Today, the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 1030, the Secret Science Reform Act of 2015 with a bipartisan vote of 241-175. The EPA has been proposing, finalizing, and implementing far reaching and economically harmful regulations without releasing the science on which these regulations are based. Without transparency, independent scientists cannot review and verify the science nor can the affected public be certain that that the extra red tape and bureaucracy is actually necessary. Today’s bill prohibits the EPA from proposing or implementing regulations without first publishing the science on which they are based for independent review. Read more »
Washington, D.C. (March 17, 2015) – Today, Western Caucus Chairman Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) joined House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Rob Bishop (R-UT) and nine U.S. Senators in writing a letter to Dan Ashe, Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife (FWS). The letter requested a delay of the northern long eared bat (NLEB) listing determination that the FWS is compelled to make by April 2, 2015 under a multi-species settlement agreement between the FWS and the Center for Biological Diversity and WildEarth Guardians. Read more »
Washington, D.C. (February 18, 2014) – This week, President Obama plans to unilaterally designate 21,000 acres around the Arkansas River in Colorado as the Browns Canyon National Monument. Western Caucus Chairman Cynthia Lummis (WY-At Large) and Western Caucus Member Doug Lamborn (CO-05) released the following statements in response to the announcement:
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Washington, D.C. (February 11, 2015) – Today, the U.S. House of Representatives passed S. 1, the Keystone XL Pipeline Approval Act with a bipartisan vote of 270-152. This bill would at long last approve the Keystone XL pipeline. The bill, passed by the Senate on January 29th, will now move to the President’s desk for his signature. Read more »
Washington, D.C. (February 2, 2015) – Today, the Obama Administration released its Budget Plan for Fiscal Year 2016. The President’s proposal includes a $78 billion increase in discretionary spending. Western Caucus Chairman Cynthia Lummis (WY-At Large) released the following statement in response to the announcement: Read more »
Washington, D.C. (January 29, 2015) – Today, the U.S. Senate passed the Keystone XL Pipeline with a bi-partisan vote of 62-36. After reconciling the amended legislation with the House version or House passage of the amended bill, it will move to the President’s desk. In response, Western Caucus Chairman Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) issued the following statement: Read more »
Washington, D.C. (January 28, 2015) – Today, the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 351, the LNG Permitting Certainty and Transparency Act with a bipartisan vote of 277-133. This bill would expedite the approval process for liquefied natural gas export terminals to eliminate unnecessary bureaucratic delays that have held up construction. Read more »
Washington, D.C. (January 27, 2015) – Today, the Obama Administration announced its Draft Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Oil and Gas Leasing Program for 2017 to 2022. Western Caucus Chairman Cynthia Lummis (WY-At Large) released the following statement in response to the announcement: Read more »
