Today, House Natural Resources Committee Ranking Member Doc Hastings (WA-04) released the following statement regarding the Consolidated Land, Energy, and Aquatic Resources Act of 2009 (H.R. 3534).  Democrats on the House Natural Resources Committee released this bill last night and will hold hearings on it on September 16^th and 17^th.

“Yesterday, with unemployment nearing 10 percent, Democrats introduced a bill that will actually make it harder to expand ‘all-of-the-above’ energy production in America and create new jobs.  It’s a big government bill that throws up more bureaucratic roadblocks on the path to American energy production and job creation.  Instead of pushing to open additional areas for drilling, Democrats are raising fees and taxes, ballooning government bureaucracy, rolling out more red tape, and delaying greater wind, solar, oil and natural gas production.  This costs American jobs and makes us more dependent on foreign oil. 

 “Like the Waxman-Markey National Energy Tax bill, H.R. 3534 is another example of how out of touch Democrats are with the millions of Americans who support more energy development and need all types of energy jobs.  The last thing America needs in the middle of this serious recession is for Congress to erect obstacles that prevent job creation and energy production.   The harder it is to produce American energy, the harder it is for the 14.9 million unemployed Americans to find energy jobs and afford American energy to fuel their homes, cars, farms and factories.

“Instead of moving forward with this tax and roadblock bill, Congress should pass the Republican all-of-the-above energy plan that would open more areas to development and help more Americans get back to work.”

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