Presumptive

Presumptive Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney on Thursday unveiled an energy plan that he said would open more federal lands to oil and gas drilling and would make North America energy independent by 2020 — the final year of his second term in office — if he is elected this November.

Presumptive Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney on Thursday unveiled an energy plan that he said would open more federal lands to oil and gas drilling and would make North America energy independent by 2020 — the final year of his second term in office — if he is elected this November.

House Republican leaders have decided against combining the energy jurisdictions of the House Energy and Commerce Committee and the House Natural Resources Committee into one committee — the House Energy and Natural Resources Committee.

The presumptive chairman of the House Natural Resources Committee, Rep. Doc Hastings (R-WA), has formally asked House Republicans to consider combining the energy jurisdictions of the House Energy and Commerce Committee and the House Natural Resources Committee into one committee — the House Energy and Natural Resources Committee.

The presumptive chairman of the House Natural Resources Committee, Rep. Doc Hastings (R-WA), has formally asked House Republicans to consider combining the energy jurisdictions of the House Energy and Commerce Committee and the House Natural Resources Committee into one committee — the House Energy and Natural Resources Committee.

Drilling off the coast of Virginia is shaping up to be a political hot potato in the state’s gubernatorial race, with the presumptive Republican candidate urging the Interior Department to proceed full speed ahead with a scheduled 2011 offshore lease sale while the Democratic candidates are anti-offshore drilling and pro-green energy.

Drilling off the coast of Virginia is shaping up to be a political hot potato in the state’s gubernatorial race, with the presumptive Republican candidate urging the Interior Department to proceed full speed ahead with a scheduled 2011 offshore lease sale while the Democratic candidates are anti-offshore drilling and pro-green energy.

Sen. Barack Obama, the presumptive Democratic candidate for president, Sunday outlined a four-point plan to crack down on the “excessive” energy speculation that he claims is driving up the prices of crude oil, gasoline and other energy commodities.