Congressman Jared Huffman (D-CA) has proposed an amendment #90 to the first House minibus appropriations bill (H.R. 2740) that would block funding for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) to finalize an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the proposed Pebble Mine in Alaska. The proposed amendment represents the second time federal policymakers have attempted to side-step regular order for consideration of the proposed mine under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) – which is often referred to as the ‘Magna Carta of environmental law’. Previously, the Obama Administration’s EPA took the unprecedented step of issuing a preemptive veto for the project before project sponsors had even submitted an application or otherwise provided details regarding the proposed mine. Read more »
Today, members of the Western Caucus issued statements applauding DOI and BLM for returning power to the States and overturning the Obama's sage-grouse land grab. Read more »
Proposition 112 is an attack on good-paying jobs and hard-working Colorado families. It would mandate implementation of an arbitrary 2,500-foot buffer zone between occupied structures and oil and gas wells. Read more »
Western Caucus released the following statements after the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued a proposed rule to replace the Obama Administration’s Clean Power Plan. Read more »
Today, Members of the Congressional Western Caucus including Chairman Paul Gosar (AZ-04), Executive Vice Chairman Scott Tipton (CO-03), House Natural Resources Chairman Rob Bishop (UT-01) Chief Infrastructure and Forestry Officer Bruce Westerman (AR-04), Chief Regulatory Reform Officer Andy Biggs (AZ-05), Chairman Emeritus Steve Pearce (NM-02), Vice-Chairman for Indian Affairs and Oceans Don Young (AK-At Large), House Committee on Energy and Commerce Chairman Greg Walden (OR-02) and Western Caucus Members Debbie Lesko (AZ-08), Mike Johnson (LA-04), Ralph Norman (SC-05), Greg Gianforte (MT-At Large), Markwayne Mullin (OK-02), Doug LaMalfa (CA-01), Kevin Cramer (ND-At Large), Ron Estes (KS-04), Roger Marshall (KS-01) and Doug Collins (GA-09) released statements after Members of Congress introduced a bipartisan slate of nine bills enjoying over 115 endorsing national and regional organizations - dubbed the "Western Caucus Endangered Species Act Modernization Package" - which delivers broad and long-overdue improvements to the underlying Act. Read more »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Members of the Congressional Western Caucus including Chairman Paul Gosar (AZ-04), House Committee on Natural Resources Chairman Rob Bishop (UT-01), Vice Chairman for Indian Affairs and Oceans Don Young (AK-At Large), Chief Infrastructure and Forestry Officer Bruce Westerman (AR-04) and Congressman Doug LaMalfa (CA-01) released statements after the White House's Council on Environmental Quality published an advanced notice of proposed rulemaking indicating its intent to consider revising regulations governing implementation of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). Read more »
Today, Members of the Congressional Western Caucus including Chairman Paul Gosar (AZ-04), Chairman Emeritus Steve Pearce (NM-02), House Committee on Natural Resources Chairman Rob Bishop (UT-01) and Reps. John Curtis (UT-03), Liz Cheney (WY-At Large), Doug LaMalfa (CA-01), Kevin Cramer (ND-At Large) and Bill Johnson (OH-06) released statements following the introduction of bills by Pearce, Curtis and Cheney which would institute efficiency and streamlining reforms to oil and gas permitting. Read more »
Congressional Western Caucus Chairman Paul A. Gosar D.D.S. (AZ-04) and Western Caucus Member Jim Banks (IN-03) released statements after Congressman Banks' Amendment #16 to H.R. 2 - which would repeal the 'Waters of the United States' rule issued by the Obama Administration - passed the Floor of the U.S. House of Representatives by a bipartisan vote of 238-173. Read more »
Today, Congressional Western Caucus Chairman Paul A. Gosar D.D.S. (AZ-04), House Committee on Science, Space and Technology Chairman Lamar Smith (TX-21), Western Caucus Members Doug Lamborn (CO-05) and Bob Gibbs (OH-07), representatives for the Competitive Enterprise Institute, the National Mining Association, Americans for Limited Government, the American Resources Policy Network, the Yavapai Cattle Growers Association as well as the Apache County Supervisor Doyel Shamley released statements after the Caucus led a coalition of 18 Members of Congress and dozens of stakeholders requesting that EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt reverse a preemptive veto of the Pebble Mine project in Alaska. Read more »
