Editing Doc Hastings (section)

===Tenure===
[[File:Richard N. Doc Hastings.jpg|thumb|right|Earlier official photo of Hastings]]
;Political positions
In response to [[Project Vote Smart]], Hastings wrote, "Top priorities must be creating jobs, getting our economy back on track, and stopping reckless spending that has left our nation with the largest [[Government budget deficit|deficit]] in history".<ref name="Project Vote Smart"/> The ''[[Seattle Post-Intelligencer]]'' considers Hastings to be a "down-the-line supporter of the House Republican leadership".<ref name="mostcon"/>

Hastings has served as Chairman of the House Committee on Natural Resources since January 2011 and is a proponent of increasing domestic production of oil and gas, including drilling in the [[Arctic National Wildlife Refuge]] in Alaska. In November 2010 he said that "Promoting new domestic energy production, including in the Arctic, will be a priority" for the committee.<ref name="LA Times">"Effort aims to block oil drilling in refuge;
Environmentalists fear a possible GOP bid to open a sensitive Alaska wildlife zone", ''Los Angeles Times'', November 20, 2010.</ref>

;Interest group ratings
Hastings has a lifetime score of 3% from the League of Conservation Voters.<ref>{{cite web|title=National Environmental Scorecard|url=http://scorecard.lcv.org/moc/doc-hastings|website=League of Conservation Voters|access-date=20 August 2014}}</ref>

[[File:Dochastings.jpg|thumb|right|Hastings during the [[112th United States Congress]]]]Hastings is rated as one of the most pro-business representatives in Congress, according to the [[United States Chamber of Commerce]] which gives Hastings a score of 94 out of 100 based on his 16-year voting record.<ref>{{cite web|title=U.S. Chamber of Commerce Ranks Hastings|url=http://www.uschamber.com/issues/legislators/how-they-voted-2010-house|work=Chamber of Commerce web site|publisher=U.S. Chamber of Commerce|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110525235642/https://www.uschamber.com/issues/legislators/how-they-voted-2010-house|archive-date=2011-05-25}}</ref> The [[501(c) organization|501(c)4]] organization [[Club for Growth]] gave Hastings a grade of 94 out of 100.<ref>{{cite web|title=Hastings Rated High|url=http://www.clubforgrowth.org/projects/scorecard/?year=2010&chamber=2&state=Any&party=Any&memberName=hastings|work=Scorecard|publisher=Club for Growth|access-date=28 June 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110928023131/http://www.clubforgrowth.org/projects/scorecard/?year=2010&chamber=2&state=Any&party=Any&memberName=hastings|archive-date=28 September 2011}}</ref>

The [[National Taxpayers Union]] gives Hastings a grade of A.<ref>{{cite web|title=Hastings Scores High with Taxpayers|url=http://www.ntu.org/on-capitol-hill/ntu-rates-congress/members/house/doc-hastings.html|work=Taxpayers Union Scorecard|publisher=National Taxpayers Union|access-date=June 28, 2011}}</ref> Hastings has been given an 'A' grade by [[Liz Cheney]]'s Keep America Safe PAC<ref>{{cite web|title=Keep America Safe Scorecard|url=http://www.keepamericasafe.com/?page_id=5827|work=Hastings Receives the A Grade|publisher=Keep America Safe|access-date=28 June 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110626123817/http://www.keepamericasafe.com/?page_id=5827|archive-date=26 June 2011}}</ref> He earned a 95.15% lifetime rating, as of 2010, from the [[American Conservative Union]].<ref>{{cite web|title=American Conservative Union Ranks Hastings|url=http://www.conservative.org/ratings/ratingsarchive/2010/2010HouseRatings.htm#WA|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110213222324/http://www.conservative.org/ratings/ratingsarchive/2010/2010HouseRatings.htm#WA|url-status=dead|archive-date=February 13, 2011|work=American Conservative Union Rankings|publisher=American Conservative Union|access-date=June 20, 2011}}</ref>

Hastings is pro-life, demonstrated by consistent ratings of 100% from the [[National Right to Life Committee]]. He has received mixed ratings from some national agricultural groups. For 2009–2010 the [[American Farm Bureau Federation]] gave Representative Hastings a 66% rating.<ref name="Project Vote Smart">[http://votesmart.org/issue_rating_category.php?can_id=22318 Project Vote Smart]</ref> His rating from the [[National Association of Wheat Growers]] was 25 percent in 2008.<ref name="Project Vote Smart"/>

In 2009 and 2010, he received grades of "D" and "F" from the teachers union-affiliated [[National Education Association]], and 0% from the [[American Association of University Women]]. In 2009–10, [[Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America]] gave Hastings a grade of "D".<ref name="Project Vote Smart"/>

;Controversies
Hastings was instrumental in 2002 in building the case that led to the expulsion of Congressman [[James Traficant]] (I-OH) from the United States Congress. As Chairman of the Investigative Subcommittee of the United States House Committee on Ethics, Hastings was tasked with reviewing the file from Traficant's trial and other material to determine if there had been a violation of House rules. Hastings said on the floor of the House, "After considering all of the evidence, I concluded that Mr. Traficant's offenses were so serious and so purposeful that expulsion from the House is the only appropriate sanction". The measure to remove Traficant from the House passed 420–1.<ref>{{cite news|last=Pope|first=Charles|title=Potomac Watch|url=http://www.seattlepi.com/default/article/Potomac-Watch-Doc-Hastings-took-the-lead-in-1092275.php|work=Richard Hastings took the lead in Traficant's expulsion|publisher=Seattle Post-Intelligencer|access-date=June 27, 2011|date=July 26, 2002}}</ref>

In 1996, lobbyist [[Jack Abramoff]] and his firm had as many as 36 contacts with Hastings' office, resulting in as many as 85.57 billed hours regarding the [[Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands]].<ref>1996 CNMI Preston Gates Ellis Invoices</ref> Abramoff bragged to the CNMI of having "excellent" ties to Hastings.<ref>Alicia Mundy, "Pasco Congressman in Rare Spotlight", ''The Seattle Times'', June 10, 2005.</ref> Hastings' 2004 campaign had received $1,000 from Abramoff personally and an additional $5,647 from Abramoff's lobbying firm, which was also one of the largest law firms in the State of Washington, [[Preston Gates]]. Preston Gates, [[Microsoft]]'s law and lobbying firm, also contributed to Washington Democrats during that cycle, including to Seattle's [[Jim McDermott]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Candidate Summary Report|url=http://query.nictusa.com/cgi-bin/cancomsrs/?_04+H2WA04041|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120717162520/http://query.nictusa.com/cgi-bin/cancomsrs/?_04+H2WA04041|url-status=dead|archive-date=July 17, 2012|work=Richard Hastings|publisher=Federal Elections Commission|access-date=July 6, 2011}}</ref>

Following Hastings' work that led to Traficant's removal from the House, he was named to the Chairmanship of the United States House Committee on Ethics. Soon after being named chairman, two senior staff members for the committee were fired, and Hastings attempted to place his office Chief of Staff, Ed Cassidy, onto the Ethics Committee staff. Democrats cast this a partisan move, while Republicans pointed out that such a change in staff is the norm with the naming of a new committee chairman. Hastings came under fire during his chairmanship of the Ethics Committee, due to claims by Democrats of inaction regarding then-House Majority Leader [[Tom DeLay]]. By rule, the House Ethics Committee's work, votes, and investigative findings are kept strictly confidential.<ref>Alicia Mundy, "Hastings says ethics panel won't investigate DeLay", ''The Seattle Times'', October 6, 2005; "House Ethics Chair Fires Lawyers", ''Associated Press'', February 16, 2005, which can viewed [http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,147833,00.html here]; Mike Allen "House Ethics Panel in Gridlock; Democrats Refuse to Participate Under New GOP Rules," Washington Post, March 11, 2005, Page A02; Alicia Mundy, "Ethics claims target Doc Hastings," Seattle Times, June 25, 2005; Gail Russell Chaddock, "House ethics panel lapses at an awkward time", ''Christian Science Monitor'', April 26, 2005.</ref>

In 2008, Hastings, by now the ranking member of the Ethics Committee, pushed the investigation of [[Charlie Rangel]].<ref>{{cite news|last=Lee and Pershing|first=Christopher and Ben|title=Official Rangel Probe Appears Likely|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/09/18/AR2008091803961.html|access-date=July 7, 2011|newspaper=Washington Post|date=September 9, 2008}}</ref> A four-person investigative subcommittee was formed with Hastings as co-chair. The subcommittee's subsequent report led to Rangel's loss of the chairmanship of the powerful [[Ways and Means Committee]] and censure by the House in 2010.