Today at a Full Committee hearing, Department of the Interior Secretary Sally Jewell testified that the Department’s programs and activities support millions of jobs and generate billions in revenue.  While this is true, the Secretary failed to acknowledge the millions of jobs and billions in revenue that could be created if the Administration didn’t impose burdensome red-tape and regulations that block access to our Nation’s public lands and resource.  In fact, Natural Resources Committee bills passed by the House of Representatives this Congress to expand energy production, responsibly manage our federal forests, create small hydropower programs, protect private property rights and restore water flows, and streamline the federal permitting process would create more than $2.37 billion in additional revenue and create more than 1.4 million jobs.

As Chairman Hastings noted at today’s hearing, “U.S. energy production is the second highest source of revenue to the U.S. treasury – and that’s the reason the Administration is able to say that this budget would bring in more revenue than it spends.  But that misses the point.  The Obama Administration in this budget is forfeiting billions of dollars in new revenue by continuing to stifle energy production on our federal lands.”

Current Vs. Potential Jobs and Revenue if Committee Bills Enacted

Background

• H.R. 2231, The Offshore Energy and Jobs Act, would generate $1.5 billion in revenue and create 1.2 million good-paying jobs in the growing energy sector.

• H.R. 1526, The Restoring Healthy Forests for Healthy Communities Act, would create 208,000 jobs in and generate $382 million in revenues by restoring active forest management.

• H.R. 3964, The Sacramento-San Joaquin Valley Emergency Water Delivery Act, would generate $162 million in revenue and protect thousands of jobs by addressing the emergency drought in California and restoring some water supplies.

• H.R. 1965, The Federal Jobs and Energy Security Act of 2013, would generate $325 million in revenues, protect and expand onshore American energy production, and create new American jobs by streamlining government red-tape and regulations.

• H.R. 2954, The Public Access and Lands Improvement Act, is a bipartisan package of 10 bills that would protect and promote public access to lands and would generate $5 million in revenues.

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