Natural Resources
As an attorney, I fought to return control of natural resources to local entities, not far-away federal bureaucrats. I am honored to serve on the Natural Resources committee to continue this work from the halls of Congress. I also have the privilege of chairing the Subcommittee on Indian and Insular Affairs, working with tribal and territorial leaders on issues important to their communities.
More on Natural Resources
For decades Dave Belus and his family have ranched across Johnson County, grazing their cattle on a patchwork of private and Bureau of Land Management land.
But as the BLM moves toward a new Public Lands Rule that could put land conservation on an equal footing with other uses, ranchers like Belus are questioning the impact to their business and way of life.
Today my Indian and Insular Affairs subcommittee held a hearing to discuss the budget requests for the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) and Office of Insular Affairs (OIA). The Biden Administration seeks to increase BIA's budget for the purpose of green new deal-style priorities that are not practical or reliable, and instead create economic harm and energy poverty for Native communities. At the same time, OIA's budget is being cut, with no mention of where future funding for our contracts with freely-associated states where come from.
Washington, DC – Today, the Supreme Court released its much-anticipated opinion in the case of Sackett v. Environmental Protection Agency. (To watch Rep. Hageman discuss today’s decision, click here)
The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that the Environmental Protection Agency has overstepped its authority to police water on private property.
In its Thursday ruling on Sackett v. Environmental Protection Agency, which directly impacts Waters of the United States (WOTUS) rules, the court decided that the Clean Water Act does not allow the EPA to regulate discharges into some wetlands near bodies of water.
During today's hearing with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Director Williams, I asked why Wyoming's grizzly bear population is still listed as endangered, despite having long ago met all criteria for delisting. She was not able to respond, stating that they were "working on a 12-month" review process. Yet despite multiple questions, she was unable to say when the review began, when it would end, or even how long it would actually last.
|
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Yesterday, Chairman Dan Newhouse (WA-04) hosted a Special Order with Congressional Western Caucus Members to talk about the Endangered Species Act and the harm it’s done on rural communities across America. |
The Endangered Species Act, which turns 50 years old this week, is a perfect example of good legislation that has been twisted by a greedy government. No longer is its goal to recover endangered species and return management to the states; fully recovered species remain improperly listed as 'endangered' because bureaucrats want to protect their jobs and gobble up more money and land for the federal government.
The consequence of this reality is that other wildlife suffer, limited funds are pulled away from the areas and species that truly need them, and people are put in danger.