WASHINGTON D.C. - Below is an attachment to the 2010 Bureau of Land Management Treasured Landscapes Plan, a secret memo naming possible monument designations by the Obama administration. The list includes millions of acres of Western lands that Department of the Interior intends to seize. Yesterday, President Obama announced he will be using the controversial Antiquities Act to create a new national monument in the Organ Mountains-Desert Peak area of southern New Mexico—a land grab encompassing one-fifth of Dona Ana County. The Organ Mountains-Desert Peak area of Southern New Mexico is on page 13 of this list. The President is going down the list, and sealing off vast swaths of the West on behalf of his special interest allies, who view our states as their personal playground. Read more »
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Congressman Rob Bishop (UT-01) today sent a letter to President Barack Obama urging that he refrain from designating a new national monument on the U.S.- Mexico border given the ongoing violence occurring on federal lands in the southern border regions. News broke last week that a National Park Service (NPS) employee was brutally attacked by drug smugglers on federal land. It has been rumored that President Obama is considering using the controversial Antiquities Act to create a new national monument in the Organ Mountains-Desert Peak area of southern New Mexico. The proposed new national monument lacks local support and there are concerns that it will impede upon the U.S. Border Patrol's ability to conduct security operations. Read more »
Washington, D.C. (May 16, 2014) – Documents released recently reveal that the Environmental Protection Agency may have delayed publication of its New Source Performance Standard (NSPS) rules in order to help Democrats in the 2014 midterm elections. The agency waited until November 25, 2013 to submit their rule to the Federal Register, two months after it releasing it to the public. Due to this late submission, the Federal Register was not able to publish the rule until January 8, 2014. This means that the earliest Congress can hold a vote to repeal the rule is January of 2015. Read more »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Walter B. Jones (NC-3) is taking action to modernize the Endangered Species Act (ESA) in order to prevent the waste of taxpayer money and implementation of unnecessary, economically harmful regulations. This week, Congressman Jones is cosponsoring seven pieces of legislation that would bring transparency to ESA processes and reduce the law’s impact on economic growth. 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 43 other Caucus Members in sending a letter to Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Gina McCarthy. Read more »
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, the House Committee on Natural Resources held an oversight hearing on “Keeping the Lights On and Reducing Catastrophic Forest Fire Risk: Proper Management of Electricity Rights of Way on Federal Lands.” The hearing examined the need for improved management and better communication with electric utilities on electricity rights of way on federal lands so that falling, dead, insect-infested or even growing trees do not hit power lines. Such contact can cause electricity blackouts and catastrophic fires. 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), released a new report entitled: “Washington Gets It Wrong, States Get It Right: A New Report on State Environmental Stewardship.” Read more »
Washington, D.C. – Today, the House Energy & Commerce Committee approved H.R. 6, Congressman Cory Gardner’s (CO-04) legislation on liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports. H.R. 6, the Domestic Prosperity and Global Freedom Act, will expedite the approval of U.S. LNG export applications. This legislation passed with a bipartisan vote of 33-18. Read more »
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Representative Kristi Noem today joined 231 Members of Congress from both sides of the aisle in a letter to Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Gina McCarthy and Secretary of the Army John McHugh, urging their agencies to withdraw a proposed navigable waters rule. The rule of concern would expand the federal government’s control over small and seasonal bodies of water throughout South Dakota. Read more »
Washington, D.C. (May 1, 2014) - This week EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy lashed out against the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and other critics who believe the agency should grant public access to its scientific data. On Monday, McCarthy said to the National Academy of Sciences that EPA’s “Science is real and verifiable.” The EPA has resisted all attempts to publicize the scientific data used to implement its regulations. This “secret science” was used by the EPA to implement 98% of its air regulations between 2002 and 2012, most of which have had devastating economic impacts. Read more »
