Federal budget cuts scheduled to take effect at the end of the year unless Congress acts sooner "would have a significant impact on oil and gas production, safety and environmental protection, and revenue collection," according to a key House lawmaker. In a 15-page letter sent to his colleagues today, House Appropriations ranking member Norm Dicks (D-Wash.) seeks to illustrate the impact that so-called sequestration cuts would have on a wide range of government services. Go to story #1