“Better to listen first and then implement — rather than implement and then see what the impacts are going to be of the Administration’s positions.”

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, during a Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee hearing, US Senator John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) questioned Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar about the Department of the Interior’s (DOI) upcoming meetings about new DOI oil and gas leasing regulations.  Barrasso suggested that DOI should have listened to Americans before introducing regulations that will kill red, white and blue jobs across our country.  

BARRASSO EXCERPT:

“People in the West are concerned because the regulations are already in place. These regulations are impacting the red, white and blue jobs that have powered our country and are such good jobs in our state. So it just seems that maybe we could have had this discussion before the regulations went in place. I would encourage you and invite you to Pinedale, Rock Springs, Casper, Wyoming to see the specifics of the impacts- and I’d be happy to go with you to those locations.  It just struck me that it might have been better to listen first and then implement rather than implement and then see what the impacts are going to be of the Administration’s positions.”

Background:

In response to a question posed by Senator Bob Bennett (R-Utah) Secretary Salazar said, “I don’t pretend to know that we are the holders of total wisdom relative to how we ought to be regulating our public lands and oil and gas. So if there are better ways in which we ought to be doing what we’re doing, we are listening and that’s why Assistant Secretary Wilma Lewis and Director Bob Abbey as well as myself and Deputy Secretary David Hayes will be having additional meetings to understand what the real impact is of our new rules on the ground.”