House approves myriad of initiatives under Committee's jurisdiction

August 8, 2007                 

CONTACT: Allyson Groff, 202-226-9019

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The House Natural Resources Committee has been working overtime over the past seven months to fulfill the will of the American people in taking the Nation in a new direction.  To date, the House of Representatives has approved 88 legislative measures within the Committee's jurisdiction - more than double the number of bills passed under the previous Republican Congress during the same time period. 

Making great strides to achieve this success in a bipartisan fashion, 51 of these measures were sponsored by Democratic Members and 37 by Republicans.

The legislation ranges in scope from measures addressing America's energy independence, Native American tribal recognitions, wilderness area designations, coastal and ocean exploration programs, and Western water resources. The Committee has jurisdiction over programs administered by the Department of the Interior, including the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the Department of Agriculture's U.S. Forest Service, and the Department of Commerce's National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.     

The House recently approved H.R. 3221, the "New Direction for Independence, National Security, and Consumer Protection Act" - legislation to put the Nation on a path to energy independence, strengthen national security, grow the economy and create new jobs, lower energy prices, and begin to address global warming.  Other notable accomplishments include passage of legislation to designate the Wild Sky Wilderness Area in Washington State, as well as bills providing long-awaited recognition to the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina and six Virginia Indian tribes.

Upon taking the helm of the Committee, Chairman Nick J. Rahall (D-WV) released an Agenda of American Values to assist in guiding the Committee during the 110^th Congress. 

At the time, Rahall said, "My chairmanship will be about giving hope to the rancher, the Indian, the people in U.S. territories, those thirsting for adequate water, and to the fisherman.  And it will be about promoting a balanced program for governing our natural resources, whether they lie in West Virginia, Colorado or California."

Striving to fulfill Rahall's agenda, the Committee has kept busy since January, holding more than 70 hearings at both the full committee and subcommittee level, and receiving testimony from witnesses representing a diverse array of interests and viewpoints. 

"I would like to express my deepest appreciation to the hardworking Members of the Natural Resources Committee, particularly our Subcommittee Chairmen and Chairwomen, who have brought a newfound energy and invigoration to the work we do on this panel every day," Rahall said.  "I look forward to returning to Washington in September to continue this positive momentum.  The actions we take today, and the legislation we consider, go a long way in determining our Nation's future and the futures of those generations to come."

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