Westerman holds first hearing as chief

U.S. Rep. Bruce Westerman, the new chairman of the House Committee on Natural Resources Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, held his first hearing since receiving the post.

The topic: Examining Impacts of Federal Natural Resources Laws Gone Astray.

Tuesday’s subcommittee meeting focused on the Marine Mammal Protection Act and the National Historic Preservation Act.

In his opening statement, the Republican from Hot Springs said those and other federal laws have been “stretched beyond Congress’ original intent.” As a result, the federal agencies responsible for implementing them “enjoy far more power and exercise more discretion in implementing these laws than Congress ever intended.”

This was the second such hearing that the subcommittee has held. Previously, it examined the Federal Land Policy and Management Act, the Indian Reorganization Act and the Wilderness Act.

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