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Washington, D.C. – The following is U.S. Rep. Don Young’s (R-Alaska) statement regarding the new Inspector General report outlining illegal and improper activity by some career employees at the Minerals Management Service (MMS).

            Young is the Ranking Member of the Natural Resources Committee, which has jurisdiction over the MMS.

“The findings outlined in the Inspector General report are troubling and reveal unacceptable and illegal conduct by certain career federal employees in the Minerals Management Service.  Fortunately, the Department of the Interior has been taking corrective action while the Inspector General was conducting his two-year, multi-million dollar investigation.

“Secretary Kempthorne has expressed his outrage at the actions of these DOI employees and correctly stated that more than 99.9 percent of the employees at the Interior Department were not involved in this misconduct.

“I look forward to next week’s hearing on this matter to examine why federal rules permit individuals of such poor character to attain and keep federal employment under these circumstances.  In addition, I hope we can examine the causes for the length of this nearly two-year long investigation and the anticipated response from the Justice Department to this wrongdoing.

“In addition, we should thoroughly examine the reasons that many of the career employees identified by the Inspector General are still working at the Department.

“I find it interesting that the Democratic Leadership of the Natural Resources Committee can hastily schedule a hearing about the sex and drug habits of a handful of career federal employees yet refuse to address the major issues that have created our national energy crisis.

“This summer alone, the Democrats have refused Republican requests to hold hearings:

• On ’s record high oil prices;
• On he Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) moratorium on domestic oil and natural gas production that more than 70 percent of Americans want lifted;
• On oil and gas production in North America ’s largest unexplored onshore oil basin in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge;
• On the Democratic Leadership’s misleading “Use it or Lose it” bills;
• And on the details included in Democrat energy bill that will be voted on by Congress next week.

“ ’America's energy crisis wasn’t even important enough to hold one hearing on, yet in a matter of hours, the Democratic Leadership can put together a Congressional hearing involving sex and drugs.

“Congress is voting the Democratic Leadership’s so-called energy bill next week but there won’t be one hearing held on it to discuss what’s in this secret bill and what’s being left out.

“What is going on here?

“Secretary Kempthorne and federal investigators are addressing the problems highlighted in the IG report.

“In the meantime, it’s important that the Royalties-in-Kind program operate under new supervision.  The RIK program has already proven to generate more income for the Federal government than just the collection of royalties, and it’s a shame the immoral conduct of a few bad apples has put a valuable program under such a cloud.

“I applaud Secretary Kempthorne for taking control of this situation before the IG report was issued this week.  I anxiously look forward to next week’s provocative hearing.”