Doc Hastings RSS Articles

Congressman Doc Hastings' statement on Implementation of U.S. Colombia Trade Deal

Tue, 15 May 2012 04:00:00 GMT

“While long overdue, there is no question that today’s implementation of this trade agreement with Colombia means new opportunities and job growth potential for Washington state growers and manufacturers,” said Congressman Doc Hastings. “It is a matter of fairness. Colombian products have enjoyed open access to the United States for almost two decades while U.S. exports have faced tariffs as high as 20 percent. Since August 15^th of last year, our growers and manufacturers were placed at an even further disadvantage when our neighbor to the north gained duty-free access to the Colombian market – while the U.S. agreement continued to languish within the Obama White House.

”One in three jobs in Washington state is dependent on international trade,” Hastings added. “I am pleased that Washington state businesses will finally be able to compete on a level playing field in this growing market.”

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Hastings' Statement on USFWS Proposal to List Two Hanford Reach Plants as Endangered

Tue, 15 May 2012 04:00:00 GMT

“Today’s action is the latest example of how the Endangered Species Act is being abused and warped by a barrage of costly lawsuits where lawyers seek to force hundreds of new ESA species listings through closed-door settlements with the federal government,” said Congressman Doc Hastings. “For eight years, an extreme environmental group sued for federal listing of two Hanford Reach plants—the Umtanum Desert buckwheat and the White Bluffs bladderpod. Now, the Obama Administration, with this announcement, is pressing forward with a listing that may well restrict irrigated farming, recreational hiking and vehicle use, and ultimately, block public access and multi-use of thousands of acres of Hanford monument and adjoining state and private lands,” Hastings added. “As Chairman of the House Natural Resources with jurisdiction over the Endangered Species Act, I intend to closely examine this action before any final decisions are made to ensure the local community, private property, and the public’s right to access public lands are protected.”

Background:

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) announced today that they intend to list the Umtanum Desert buckwheat and the White Bluffs bladderpod found on or near the Hanford National Monument in Benton County, Washington as a protected species under the Endangered Species Act. The USFWS proposal includes the designation of approximately 344 acres as critical habitat for the Umtanum Desert buckwheat and 2,861 acres as critical habitat for the White Bluffs bladderpod. These designations include a mix of federal, state, and privately-owned land.

This announcement follows two court settlements between the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Center for Biological Diversity and WildEarth Guardians that require the USFWS to determine whether 757 different plant or animal species should be listed as endangered before 2018. The two species—Umtanum Desert buckwheat and the White Bluffs bladderpod—were petitioned for ESA listing by the Center for Biological Diversity in 2004.

Hastings’ legislation—H.R. 2719—the Rattlesnake Mountain Public Access Act, which directs the Department of Interior to provide the public with reasonable public access to the summit of Rattlesnake Mountain located within the Hanford Reach National Monument, passed the House 416-0 on December 15, 2011. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, despite finalizing a management plan of the Hanford Monument in 2008, has failed to provide any public access.

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Domestic Energy Production Key to Lowering Gasoline Prices

Fri, 11 May 2012 04:00:00 GMT

This year approximately 32 million Americans will travel over Memorial Day weekend. While some will travel by plane, train, or bus, an estimated 87 percent will travel by car. In Central Washington, with the price of gasoline still hovering near $4 a gallon, many hard-working families will see the cost of their Memorial Day road trips increase substantially.

Now more than ever, the United States should be doing everything we can to ensure the timely and responsible production of our domestic energy resources. Instead, this White House seems to be heading in the opposite direction.

When President Obama was sworn into office, the national gasoline price average was $1.84 per gallon – meaning that prices have more than doubled in just over three years. This is in no small part due to this Administration’s regulations and policies that have closed off areas to energy production. From shooting down the Keystone XL Pipeline to halting efforts to increase offshore drilling and energy exploration on federal lands, President Obama’s policies are driving up the price at the pump and posing a serious threat to our national security.

Just this week, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management Director for the Obama Administration told the House Natural Resources Committee that even a find of 50 billion barrels of oil offshore – which would more than double America’s known oil reserves – would not be enough for him to move forward with applications from states like Virginia for new offshore energy leases.

As Chairman of the House Natural Resources Committee, I have led efforts to reduce our reliance on foreign oil and lower gasoline prices for American families and small businesses. I authored three bills that passed the House of Representatives last year to reverse specific actions taken by the Obama Administration to block offshore energy production. Unfortunately, these bipartisan bills have not been considered by the Senate.

In February, my committee passed legislation to open less than three percent of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) in Alaska for oil and natural gas production, encourage the development of 1.5 trillion barrels of oil shale in the Rocky Mountain West, and approve the Keystone XL pipeline.

This is only a start. I am continuing to work with my colleagues to craft additional bills to streamline government regulations that block and delay development of our onshore renewable oil and natural gas resources. These common sense proposals create more reliable and effective processes for the planning, leasing, and permitting of energy production on federal lands and most importantly eliminate barriers that hinder job creation. I am hopeful that once the House passes these measures, Senate Democrats and the Administration will not oppose American energy development and job creation.

Energy prices and production impact all of us. It is critical to lower energy costs to provide relief to Central Washington families, farmers, and small businesses. The time has come for President Obama and Senate Democrats to say yes to American-made energy and work with the House of Representatives to support efforts to lower gasoline prices and reduce our dependency on foreign oil.

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Hastings holds NMFS Accountable for Rules Impacting Central Washington

Thu, 10 May 2012 04:00:00 GMT

Today, the House of Representatives passed legislation that includes a provision authored by Hastings in the accompanying report that will force the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) to report on its compliance with federal law and President Obama’s own directive to use the best available science on NMFS’ rules that seek to restrict the use of products that are vital to public health, crop protection, and forest health. This legislation, H.R. 5326, passed the House by a vote of 247 to 163.

“Once again, what President Obama is saying and what his Administration is actually doing just don’t match up,” said Hastings. “It is shocking to me that, despite legitimate and repeated concerns raised by states, federal scientists and Members of Congress from both sides of the aisle, NMFS has continued to march forward to implement policies that would jeopardize public health and significantly impact approximately 60 percent of the farmland in Washington and other Northwest states, while refusing to subject its science used to develop these policies to robust peer review as required. I am pleased that the House shares my concern and is requesting a timely response from NMFS, and hopefully will prompt them to revisit their flawed policies."

Background: In 2000, the Information Quality Act was signed into law, requiring the President to issue guidance for federal agencies to follow specific procedures to ensure the “quality, objectivity, utility, and integrity of information disseminated to the public.” In compliance with this legal requirement, President Obama issued a Memorandum on March 9, 2009 requiring all federal agencies to “conduct a peer review on all influential scientific information that the agency intends to disseminate.”

Since 2008, NMFS has issued five biological opinions (bi-ops) that would drastically restrict the registration and use of pesticide and herbicide products in the Pacific Northwest and California that are vital tools for public health, crop protection, and forest health. Concerns about the lack of transparency and validity of the science included in the bi-ops has been raised by a number of organizations and individuals – including the Washington State Department of Agriculture, mosquito control districts, Northwest growers, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the Environmental Protection Agency.

Hastings and a bipartisan group of his colleagues have repeatedly sought for NMFS to halt implementation of these flawed bi-ops and asked NMFS to open up the science that they used for peer review. NMFS has continued to refuse these requests. In April 2011, the House Natural Resources that Hastings Chairs, jointly with the House Agriculture Committee, held a hearing during which several witnesses testified regarding the lack of sound science and feasibility of measures included in NMFS’ bi-ops and the failure of NMFS to conduct an economic analysis on affected agriculture, forests and health.

Hastings’ language that passed the House today in the report accompanying the Fiscal Year 2013 Commerce, Justice and Science Appropriations bill directs the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association, which oversees NMFS, to report to Congress regarding its compliance, or lack thereof, with the Information Quality Act’s requirements for peer-reviewed science in the development of these bi-ops issued since 2008.

Ensuring Medicare and Social Security Remain Available for Future Generations

Fri, 04 May 2012 04:00:00 GMT

Last month, Medicare and Social Security trustees released their annual reports confirming what most Americans already know – unless changes are made soon, both of these programs are headed toward bankruptcy. Trustees predict that Medicare will go broke in 2024, Social Security Disability Insurance in 2016, and Social Security in 2033.

There is no question that our nation faces a fiscal crisis. Social Security and Medicare currently account for nearly half of all federal spending and continue growing each year. If we are going to get our fiscal house in order we cannot bury our heads in the sand and pretend these programs can continue on their current paths. Social Security and Medicare will not be available for future retirees unless reforms are made.

Earlier this year, President Obama had an opportunity to address our nation’s biggest fiscal challenges in his annual budget proposal. However, he refused to propose any reforms to these programs and instead chose to add more than $11 trillion to our national debt in coming years - in spite of raising taxes on hard working Americans by nearly $2 trillion.

Americans, whether current retirees counting on their benefit check to meet living expenses, disabled Americans who are unable to work, or younger and middle-age Americans who are paying into the current system, are counting on Medicare and Social Security to be there in the future.

Republicans in the House of Representatives recognize the need to reform these programs, make them solvent and ensure they are available for future generations. In March of this year, I voted in favor of the Republican budget known as the Path to Prosperity. This budget takes on the true drivers of our debt, programs that run on autopilot growing each year, and strengthening them so they are available for future generations.

Our budget guarantees that benefits are not reduced or changed for those in or near retirement. America must honor its commitment to those who have worked hard and paid into the current system – the rules suddenly cannot change for those in or near retirement. It preserves the safety net for those who most rely on these programs, including those with disabilities. Lastly, it ensures these programs are solvent long-term, rather than leaving the promise of these programs in doubt and placing an even heavier burden on our children.

Americans know we face difficult choices in these challenging economic times. Reforming these programs will not be easy and will require real leadership. But reforms must be made before these programs go bankrupt. We must ensure Medicare and Social Security are available for our children, grandchildren, and future generations.

Hastings Stands Up for Taxpayers and Clean, Renewable Hydropower

Tue, 01 May 2012 04:00:00 GMT

On April 25^th, the House Appropriations Committee passed the Fiscal Year 2013 Energy and Water Appropriations bill, which includes language authored by Congressman Doc Hastings to ensure that taxpayers are not responsible for the costs associated with the mitigation of the removal of Condit Dam.

“Before it was removed in October of last year, Condit Dam served two rural counties in Central Washington for nearly a century”, said Hastings, “PacifiCorp, a private company, chose to remove the dam, and they should be held financially responsible for mitigating the impact of this removal – whether it be erosion of the banks of what used to be Northwestern Lake or the silt that has migrated down the White Salmon River.”

Condit Dam was a privately owned and operated hydropower-producing dam located in south-central Washington state. It was constructed in 1913 on the White Salmon River, a tributary of the Columbia River. Since 1947, Condit Dam has been owned and operated by PacifiCorp, and has held a license with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.

“Although PacifiCorp moved forward with their removal of Condit Dam, I will continue to oppose efforts by those with an agenda to tear out federally-owned or licensed hydropower dams. The Northwest has been a leader in clean, renewable hydropower and I will work to see that it continues to be for many years.”

Last year, Hastings authored a provision, which was signed into law that prevented federal funding from being used to tear out Condit Dam or to mitigate the removal of the dam in Fiscal Year 2012. The language that was supported by the Appropriations Committee last week would continue this prohibition through Fiscal Year 2013.

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Hastings works to Preserve Safe Recreation in Lake Chelan

Fri, 27 Apr 2012 04:00:00 GMT

On Wednesday, the House Appropriations Committee passed legislation, which includes language authored by Congressman Doc Hastings to ensure the safety of recreational users on Lake Chelan.

Specifically, Hastings’ language requires the Army Corps of Engineers to address the safety risks to recreational users of woody debris placed in Lake Chelan.

“Washington residents have enjoyed waterskiing, swimming, boating and fishing in Lake Chelan for generations, and it is critical that it remain a safe environment for recreation,” said Hastings, “I am pleased that the Appropriations Committee acknowledges the need for the Corps to address the safety hazards of woody debris in Lake Chelan and reevaluate its use in the future so Lake Chelan can remain a safe place for Washington families to enjoy recreational activities. Additionally, I question the science and lack of monitoring of large woody debris as a mitigation requirement.”

Background: Woody debris has been identified by the Seattle District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers as an option for private dock owners to mitigate the alleged impact of their docks on bull trout and other fish. With the dramatic rise and fall of the water level through the different seasons, local residents have raised concerns about the possible movement of this woody debris and the safety hazards that it poses to boaters and other recreational users of the lake.

Hastings’ language, which was included in the report accompanying the Fiscal Year 2013 Energy and Water Appropriations bill, requires the Army Corps of Engineers to report back to Congress on their efforts to address the safety hazards posed by woody debris in Lake Chelan, the liability of the Corps and private dock owners should a person or property be injured or destroyed by the woody debris, and whether woody debris should continue to be an acceptable option offered for mitigation within Lake Chelan.

In March, Hastings, who has long questioned the need to mitigate the impact of docks on fish, submitted a request to Administrator Lubchenco of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration for the science used to determine the impact of docks on fish species and the need for mitigation. Lubchenco has yet to respond to this request.

Hastings works to protect Northwest Fish from Predatory Birds

Fri, 27 Apr 2012 04:00:00 GMT

Wednesday, the House Appropriations Committee passed legislation that includes language authored by Congressman Doc Hastings to direct federal agencies to act to protect Northwest salmon from predatory birds along the Columbia River.

“Every year, Northwest residents pay nearly one billion dollars to protect endangered salmon only for them to be consumed by predatory birds,” said Hastings, “Instead of limiting how many docks can be constructed on the Columbia River, federal agencies should be making it a priority to take immediate action to address the direct and significant threat of predatory birds to these endangered fish.”

A report released last Fall by Oregon State University and the U.S. Geological Survey concluded that Caspian Terns nesting at Goose Island in Potholes Reservoir, as well as other predatory birds in the region including cormorants and gulls, consume as much as 15 percent of migrating endangered upper Columbia River steelhead smolts. The Corps of Engineers has advised Hastings that it is preparing two separate reports relating to Northwest fish-eating birds with recommendations to address this expanding problem, but has yet to take any specific action to eliminate this threat.

Hastings’ language included in the report authorizes the Army Corps of Engineers to expedite any appropriate actions, including lethal removal, to address the significant threat of these predatory birds.

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Pacific Northwest Pays the Price for Judge’s Personal Bias Favoring Dam Removal

Fri, 27 Apr 2012 04:00:00 GMT

The Columbia and Snake River dams have transformed the Columbia Basin – providing irrigation for one of the top producing agricultural regions in the country, allowing for barge transportation to efficiently deliver our products to both domestic and overseas markets, and providing clean, affordable, renewable energy that has attracted so many innovative businesses to our communities.

Unfortunately, for too long, these dams have been under direct attack by radical environmentalists and, now, apparently, by a federal district court judge.

On April 25^th Judge Redden candidly revealed, just months after retiring from presiding over a decade-long lawsuit, that he shares the position of plaintiffs who argued long and hard in his courtroom that Snake River dams should come out—dams that provide enough power to light the city of Seattle.

His past actions as the federal judge overseeing litigation on the dams’ operations now can be measured alongside his blunt admission.

For example, Judge Redden three times tossed out science-based salmon plans supported by federal, state and other entities during the Clinton, Bush and Obama Administrations. Each of those plans emphasized keeping dams operating while ensuring the protection of endangered migrating salmon.

As Redden seized control of the Columbia River operations, this single federal judge boldly lectured the Executive and Legislative Branches for not giving his court literally a blank check to fund whatever measures he sought to impose, no matter the cost.

Redden’s orders thwarted federal efforts to ensure the best available science. He hired, at taxpayer expense, his own “science advisor,” a highly unusual, if not unprecedented move, that ignored best science.

Redden ordered significant additional water spill at the dams, while restricting more effective barging of salmon—a decision, based not on best science, that cost the Northwest nearly $300 million over the past eight years. This is in addition to the nearly $1 billion Northwest ratepayers already spend annually for salmon. According to federal officials, this may affect only about 24 endangered fish per year, which equates to hundreds of thousands of dollars per fish.

Judge Redden’s spill orders may even have resulted in more harm to salmon. Federal studies have concluded increased spill has resulted in fewer salmon, because of increased predation by fish-eating birds, fish and sea lions.

Adding insult to injury, Redden granted environmental plaintiffs nearly $2 million in taxpayer-funded attorneys’ fees as he sat at the bench with an obligation to preside in a fair and impartial manner.

Playing politics with something as critical to the economy of Central Washington and the entire Pacific Northwest as our dams is dangerous and completely unacceptable. Northwest citizens deserve to have confidence in federal judges that impartially decide the fate of both salmon and hydropower dam operations under the law. It is disturbing that Judge Redden’s bias overshadowed regionally supported plans that would allow both to happen together.

Near-record salmon are returning, with more salmon now than before dams were built. Other effective programs are boosting salmon irrespective of the dams, such as the Snake River fall chinook hatchery, which last year produced 40,000 fish.

Even more progress can be achieved when radical agendas and lawsuits to force dam removal are forever put to rest. I am hopeful that with the retirement of Judge Redden and his bias, the region can finally get out of the courtroom and implement a plan that keeps dams producing clean, renewable hydropower and ensuring abundant salmon populations for generations to come.

Ensuring Public Access to Federal Lands

Fri, 20 Apr 2012 04:00:00 GMT

From the Wenatchee and Gifford Pinchot National Forests and the North Cascades National Park, to Rattlesnake Mountain and the Columbia River Gorge national scenic area, Central Washington has countless square miles of federally owned land to enjoy.

As Chairman of the House Committee on Natural Resources, which oversees our nation’s public lands policies, I am committed to ensuring that public lands are actually open to the public. I believe it is critical to find the proper balance that protects lands, ensures public access, and allows for economic benefit and job creation. This multiple use approach guides my decisions on land policies because I understand the many different roles our public lands offer.

A high priority of mine in our area is allowing public access to the top of Rattlesnake Mountain. Although the 3,600-foot summit of Rattlesnake holds one of the best views of Central Washington and the Columbia River, it has been restricted to the public for decades.

To ensure public access to the summit of Rattlesnake Mountain in the Hanford Reach National Monument for educational, recreational, historical, scientific, and cultural purposes, I introduced the Rattlesnake Mountain Public Access Act. If families can visit the summit of Mt. Rainier, then they should be allowed the same access to the summit of Rattlesnake Mountain. I am pleased the House of Representatives unanimously passed my legislation last December.

Last week, the House of Representatives also passed the Sportsmen’s Heritage Act, which protects the traditional right of American sportsmen to fish and hunt on federal lands from unjustified bureaucratic restrictions and limitations. Outdoor activities like hunting and fishing can often be the economic lifeline for many rural economies that are otherwise left with limited opportunities to bring in business because they are surrounded by federal land. The Sportsmen’s Heritage Act will create much-needed jobs and economic growth for communities across the country.

I believe public lands belong to the American people. As your Representative and Chairman of the House Committee on Natural Resources, my goal is to ensure that we use our resources wisely so we can provide for our families today while leaving our land in even better shape for future generations of Americans. I will continue working to expand and protect opportunities for all Americans to enjoy our beautiful public lands.