Press Releases

Washington, D.C. (March 27, 2014) – Today, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced their decision to list the Lesser Prairie Chicken under the Endangered Species Act. Members of the Congressional Western Caucus responded to this decision with the following statements: Read more »

Washington, D.C. (March 26, 2014) – This afternoon, the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 1459, the Ensuring Public Involvement in the Creation of National Monuments Act with a vote of 222-201. This legislation allows the American people to have a say in the decision-making process leading up to a national monument designation. Read more »

Washington, D.C. (February 4, 2014) –On the same day President Obama delivered his fifth State of the Union address, Congressional Democrats sought to stop a bill that would have created nearly 74,000 acres of new wilderness. The partisan showdown at the Natural Resources Committee was right in line with President Obama’s anti-Congress narrative during his speech. In his speech, President Obama threatened local communities and Congressional leaders by saying he would “use his authority [under the Antiquities Act] to protect more of our pristine federal lands for future generations." Read more »

WASHINGTON,D.C.- State Department officials said they were still weighing whether or not to reject the proposed Keystone XL pipeline even after Friday’s release of a final environmental assessment that concluded the project’s construction would not significantly alter global greenhouse gas emissions. Read more »

Washington, D.C. (January 8, 2014) – Democrats in the House of Representatives are once again asking President Obama to bypass Congress and unilaterally proclaim large swaths of federal lands as national monuments. Congress taking the lead role in proposing national monuments guarantees the opportunity for input from surrounding communities, public hearings , and a full review of the pros and cons of a given designation. The one-sided approach Congressional Democrats are asking for shuts local communities and land users out of the planning process. Read more »

Washington, D.C. - Today, after continuous pressure from members of the Western Caucus, Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell has dissolved the National Blueways System created by the controversial Secretarial Order 3321. The Secretary’s action also dissolves the National Blueways Committee, which was composed entirely of federal officials and which claimed the authority to unilaterally designate entire river watersheds as “National Blueways.” These designations held the potential to expand the reach of the federal government over non-navigable waters currently under state jurisdiction. Read more »

Washington, D.C. (December 10, 2013) – On Monday, the Obama Administration published a rule in the Federal Register that gives wind farms an unlimited 30-year “take permit” to accidentally kill or injure bald and golden eagles. Congressman Steve Pearce, Chairman of the Congressional Western Caucus, responded to the rule with the following statement: Read more »

Washington, D.C. (November 21, 2013) – Yesterday, state wildlife management officials presented members of the Congressional Western Caucus with a strong plan to ensure the conservation of lesser prairie-chicken habitat. Both parties committed to continue the dialog and work together to find innovative solutions that benefit the species and ensure economic opportunity. Read more »

Washington, D.C. (November 20, 2013) – This evening, the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 2728, the Protecting States’ Rights to Promote American Energy Security Act with a bipartisan vote of 235-187. This legislation maintains states as the primary regulator of hydraulic fracturing, a practice that has been successful since the 1940s. Read more »

WASHINGTON, D.C. –Today, Senate Western Caucus Chairman John Barrasso (R-WY) and Congressional Western Caucus co-chairs Stevan Pearce (R-NM) and Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) joined 27 other Caucus Members in calling on the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to stop circumventing Congress in an effort to implement job-crushing policies that would essentially take over non-federal water in the United States. Read more »