Arizona now has a strong advocate in a very influential position. Representative Paul Gosar (R-AZ4) has taken over the chairmanship of the House of Representatives' Western Caucus, a very powerful and influential committee when it comes to issues of land management, water rights and conservation as well as enviromentl protection issues.
Gosar seems very optimistic about taking over the chairmanship, telling HavasuNews:
We’ve got a diverse aspect of issues including land management, water, mining and energy...Time has come. Instead of being victims by the Obama administration, we need to start managing them and engaging in them ourselves. There are solutions, some of which have already been put forward that have clean, clear, delineated results. We are at a magical point in time with solutions that make common sense and scientific sense as well. There are smarter ways to manage resources.”
As Chairman of the @westerncaucus I can't wait to work with @realDonaldTrump to make the WEST great again! https://t.co/HP3Fdepk1H
— Rep. Paul Gosar, DDS (@RepGosar) December 20, 2016
The Western Caucus was previously chaired by Wyoming at-large Congresswoman Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), who is now a member of President Elect Trump's transition team. The Western Caucus us a very active one, putting out a press release even yesterday slamming President Obama for his efforts to continue the "War on Coal".
The press release included other committee members Alex Mooney (R-WV2) and Glenn Thompson (R-PA5) and had some very strong language for President Obama in his final days:
The Obama Administration has squandered taxpayer money for eight years on this new regulation, tried to manipulate job loss numbers and even changed the name. You can’t put lipstick on this pig. Whether they want to call it the Stream Buffer Zone Rule or the Stream Protection Rule, this rule still stinks. The American people who want good-paying careers have missed out on hundreds of thousands of jobs around the country as a result of the president’s misguided ‘War on Coal.’ This overreaching new mandate is his latest attempt to put another nail in the coffin of an industry that provides 40% of the world’s electricity. Rest assured, this latest midnight regulation is in the crosshairs of the new administration and Congress.
Western Caucus Slams Obama’s Last-Ditch Effort to Continue the War on Coal https://t.co/W0Cq88epvR pic.twitter.com/9wrhnnSwnU
— Western Caucus (@westerncaucus) December 19, 2016
