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Oversight

Documents Requested on Whether Interior Department and Inspector General are Actively Pursuing Ethics Investigations

| Posted in Press Release

House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Doc Hastings (WA-04) today sent a letter to Department of the Interior Secretary Ken Salazar seeking further information on the operations and activities of the Department’s Ethics Office. For the past year, the Committee has conducted oversight of how political appointees and senior career officials within the Department are complying with…

Chairman Hastings Letter to Secretary Salazar Requesting Additional Documents Regarding the Interior Department's Ethics Office Investigations

| Posted in Letters

Dear Secretary Salazar: It is paramount that the American people have confidence that the Department of the Interior (“Department”) officials who manage federal lands and resources on their behalf are acting with the highest of ethical standards. Since last year, the Committee on Natural Resources (“Committee”) has been conducting oversight of how political appointees and senior career…

Houston Chronicle: Offshore unit draws lawmaker's scrutiny

| Posted in In Case You Missed It

Offshore unit draws lawmaker's scrutiny By Jennifer A. Dlouhy March 11, 2013 A top congressional Republican wants to know more about a new Interior Department team dedicated to rooting out wrongdoing by companies drilling offshore and the government officials who police them. The man behind the push, Rep. Doc Hastings, R-Wash., heads the House Natural Resources Committee and is a…

Wall Street Journal Editorial: Fishing for Wildlife Lawsuits

| Posted in Blog

"The Interior Department's Fish and Wildlife Service has resurrected a Clinton-era tactic known as 'sue and settle.' With this strategy, outside green groups friendly to the Administration sue the government, demanding a particular regulatory action. The agency happily forswears court and sits down with the plaintiffs to reach a settlement." Fishing for Wildlife Lawsuits March 10,…

Chairman Hastings Questions Interior Department on Potentially Economically Devastating Sage-Grouse Endangered Species Listing

| Posted in Press Release

House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Doc Hastings (WA-04) today sent a letter to Department of the Interior Secretary Ken Salazar and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Director Dan Ashe raising concerns of scientific integrity and the imposition of arbitrary deadlines surrounding the decision to potentially list the sage-grouse under the Endangered Species Act (ESA).  The letter requests…

Chairman Hastings Questions Interior Department on Potentially Economically Devastating Sage-Grouse Endangered Species Listing

| Posted in Letters

At the beginning of this Administration, President Obama placed significant emphasis on the importance of scientific integrity in his Administration's policies and practices. In the President's March 9, 2009 Memorandum for the Heads of Executive Departments and Agencies, he stated that "[t]he public must be able to trust the science and scientific process informing public policy…

Witnesses: Increased Offshore Oil, Natural Gas, Wind Production Creates Thousands of Jobs, Grows Economy

| Posted in Press Release

The Energy and Mineral Resources Subcommittee held an oversight hearing today on “America’s Offshore Energy Resources: Creating Jobs, Securing America, and Lowering Prices.” The hearing focused on the significant economic growth that increased production of offshore oil, natural gas and wind energy. “In light of record debt and deficits, and the current sequestration cuts going into…

Chairman Hastings Letter to Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar Regarding the Investigations and Review Unit

| Posted in Letters

Dear Secretary Salazar: The Department of the Interior ("Department") established the Investigations and Review Unit ("IRU") in 2010, reportedly to respond to allegations of wrongdoing and unethical behavior by the offshore oil and gas industry and the Department officials who regulate those activities and to help coordinate the Department's response to significant…

Chairman Hastings Letter to Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar Regarding the Administration's Policies and Practices of Scientific Integrity

| Posted in Letters

Dear Mr. Secretary: At the beginning of this Administration, President Obama placed significant emphasis on the importance of scientific integrity in his Administration's policies and practices. In the President's March 9, 2009 Memorandum tor the Heads of Executive Departments and Agencies, he stated that "[t]he public must be able to trust the science and scientific…

Chairman Hastings Renews Request for Information from Secretary Chu on Memo that Could Increase Electricity Rates on 40 Million Americans

| Posted in Press Release

House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Doc Hastings (WA-04) today followed up on his previous request to Department of Energy Secretary Steven Chu for detailed documents and communications related to the issuance of Chu’s March 16, 2012, Memorandum (Memorandum) to the Power Marketing Administrations (PMAs). Last Congress, the Natural Resources Committee held multiple hearings on the…