Rep. Bruce Westerman, R-Ark., said he hopes to combat a “not in my backyard” mentality to support increased energy production and mining on federal lands after he takes the expected gavel of the House Natural Resources Committee in the new year.
Westerman said that under his leadership, he does not want to be “boxed in” by focusing solely on the climate or the environment, but instead on “good stewardship” of federal resources.
“It’s a committee about good stewardship of our natural resources,” Westerman said on a call with reporters. “And the benefit of being good stewards is that we have a better climate, and we have a better environment.”
