House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Doc Hastings released the following statement after joining House Speaker John Boehner and other Republican Members at a press conference today to highlight the American Energy & Infrastructure Jobs Act – a bill to be introduced in the coming weeks that would link new American energy production to high-priority infrastructure projects:

“For the past year, a top priority of the Natural Resources Committee has been expanding access to our own U.S. energy resources. Increased energy production is one of the best ways to create new American jobs, grow the economy, lower energy costs and generate new revenue. Unfortunately, there are numerous government roadblocks and barriers that stand in the way of U.S. energy development. This energy and infrastructure jobs bill, which includes proposals that have already passed the House with bipartisan support, will remove those barriers and unlock U.S. energy resources.

“The bill will include measures to open new areas for offshore energy production that contain the most oil and natural gas resources, open just 3 percent of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) for future energy production, and set clear rules for the development of U.S. oil shale resources. These measures will not only create new energy jobs, but will generate significant federal revenue that can help pay for infrastructure improvements, thereby creating even more jobs.”

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