Press Releases

11.26.21

Chair Grijalva: New Federal Fossil Fuel Leasing Report Shows Why Admin Must Move Forward With Rulemakings While Congress Advances Reform Bills

Tucson, Ariz. - Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) said today that the newly released Biden administration report on updating the federal oil and gas leasing program shows the need for the administration to initiate rulemakings as soon as possible to reduce public subsidies for the fossil fuel industry, increase royalties for the public and increase public transparency in the leasing process. Grijalva said the report shows Congress must pass leasing reform bills to make necessary changes as… Continue Reading


11.19.21

Grijalva Praises Passage of Build Back Better Act, Cites Strong Environmental Provisions

Washington, D.C. - Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) issued the following statement following the House passage of the Build Back Better Act, highlighting the Act's strong conservation provisions, including funding for climate adaptation and firefighting, drought relief, and coastal restoration similar to the provisions passed by the Committee in September. Chair Grijalva noted the bill's strong investments in environmental justice and funding to increase community input on major federal … Continue Reading


11.15.21

Grijalva, Huffman, Case Issue Joint Statement on Inspector General Audit of Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council

Washington, D.C. - Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.), Water Oceans and Wildlife Subcommittee Chair Jared Huffman (D-Calif.), Rep. Ed Case (D-Hawaii) and Rep. Gregorio Sablan (D-CNMI) issued the following joint statement regarding the recent audit of the Western Pacific Sustainable Fisheries Fund (WPSFF) conducted by the Department of Commerce Office of the Inspector General. The audit found that the Western Pacific Fisheries Management Council (WESPAC) and its sub-recipients claimed que… Continue Reading


11.08.21

Grijalva Expresses Disappointment That COP26 Lacks Sufficient Indigenous Representation, Intends to Discuss the Issue When He Arrives

Washington, D.C. - Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) issued the following statement this morning before departing for the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference, also known as COP26. "The United Nations are, in some ways, repeating the same tragic mistakes that created the climate crisis to begin with," Grijalva said. "Climate change is the direct result of industrialized nations exploiting our world's natural resources and violently stealing land from Indigenous and poor peoples. … Continue Reading


10.07.21

Chair Grijalva Praises Biden Admin Move to Restore Original Boundaries, Protections for Bears Ears, Other National Monuments Trump Had Targeted

Washington, D.C. - Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) today praised the Biden administration's decision to restore Bears Ears, Grand Staircase-Escalante and Northeast Canyons and Seamounts National Monuments. The move comes on the eve of Indigenous Peoples' Day on Monday, Oct. 11. President Biden's action reverses the Trump administration's illegal reduction of the national monuments, which remain the subject of ongoing litigation. Grijalva previously led an amicus brief with then-Senator U… Continue Reading


09.29.21

Chair Grijalva Praises Department of the Interior for Restoring Protections for Migratory Birds After Trump-Era Weakening Efforts

Washington, D.C. - Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) today praised the Biden administration for its next steps to rewrite a Trump-era rule under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA) to protect birds and provide certainty to businesses. The Department of the Interior (DOI) announced that it would revoke a Trump rule that allows the incidental take of birds without consequence. The Department also announced it would start establishing a fairer system for enforcing incidental take provisions… Continue Reading


09.22.21

Chair Grijalva, Reps. Huffman and DeGette Lead 60 Members in Urging President Biden Support Repeal of Arctic Refuge Drilling Program in Build Back Better Act

Washington, D.C. - Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) and Reps. Jared Huffman (D-Calif.) and Diana DeGette (D-Colo.) sent a letter today signed by 60 House Democrats to President Biden urging him to support the repeal of the oil and gas leasing program for the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and a buyback of the leases issued in January 2021. The provision was recently passed through the House Natural Resources Committee in its portion of the larger Build Back Better Act. In December of 20… Continue Reading


06.08.21

Chair Grijalva Introduces Ocean-Based Climate Solutions Act – New Version Creates Virgin Plastic Fee, Includes More Than 1,600 Stakeholder Comments

This release has been updated from its original version to include a statement of support from Oceana. Washington, D.C. - In honor of World Oceans Day, Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) today introduced the Ocean-Based Climate Solutions Act, an updated version of a bill he initially offered in the previous Congress to modernize federal ocean management policy to account for climate change. The bill limits climate impacts on marine habitats, promotes carbon sinks in federal waters, advance… Continue Reading


06.04.21

Chair Grijalva Hails Biden Admin Moves to Restore Endangered Species Act Rules, Urges Further Action on Biodiversity Protection Based on Climate Threats

Washington, D.C. - Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) today hailed the Biden administration's announcement that it will correct and update five regulations pertaining to the Endangered Species Act (ESA) weakened during the Trump era to help polluters. Grijalva urged the administration to continue updating federal standards for protecting biodiversity with the full knowledge that climate change is advancing and time for meaningful action is short. The administration announced today that the… Continue Reading


06.01.21

Chair Grijalva Praises Biden Admin’s Suspension of Unjustified, Potentially Illegal Oil and Gas Leases in Arctic Refuge – “The Push to Drill Became a Scam”

Washington, D.C. - Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) today praised the Biden administration's decision to suspend the oil and gas leases issued in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (Refuge), which was opened to drilling by the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017. The news was first reported by Politico this afternoon. The Trump administration sold and issued the leases on a needlessly rapid schedule, without adequate review of public input or environmental impacts, and those leases are now be… Continue Reading


05.20.21

Chair Grijalva, Sen. Blumenthal Introduce Extinction Prevention Act of 2021 to Fund Protection of Highly Imperiled, Less “Charismatic” Species

Washington, D.C. - In honor of Endangered Species Day on May 21, Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) and Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) today introduced their respective versions of the Extinction Prevention Act of 2021, which provides much-needed funding for some of the most imperiled wildlife species in the United States. Targeted species include threatened and endangered North American butterflies, various Pacific Island plants, freshwater mussels, and Southwest desert fish. A fact sh… Continue Reading


04.20.21

Chair Grijalva: Long-Delayed Biological Opinion Makes Clear That the EPA Must Ban Malathion As Soon as Possible to Protect Endangered Species

Washington, D.C. - Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) said today that the draft biological opinion the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) has submitted to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on the pesticide malathion makes it clear that the EPA must ban the substance as soon as possible. The draft opinion says the continued use of malathion would jeopardize the continued existence of 78 species around the country and would cause adverse effects to many others, marking the most seve… Continue Reading


04.16.21

Chair Grijalva Hails Climate Orders From Interior Secretary Haaland: “Real Solutions Require Long-Term Engagement, And This Is a Smart Approach”

Washington, D.C. - Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) released the following statement on the two new orders signed by Interior Secretary Deb Haaland today to prioritize action on climate change and make policy decisions more transparent. "This administration understands that preventing climate collapse and putting our economy on a more sustainable path takes a lot of work and meaningful consultation with people impacted by federal policies. Today's secretarial orders set up our country fo… Continue Reading


03.15.21

Chair Grijalva on Confirmation of Deb Haaland as Interior Secretary: “A Historic Step Toward Redeeming Our Nation’s Relationship With First Americans”

Washington, D.C. - Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) today released the following statement on the confirmation of Deb Haaland to be Secretary of the Interior. "The confirmation of Sec. Deb Haaland is a historic step toward redeeming our nation's relationship with first Americans. Sec. Haaland will bring to the Interior Department and the Biden administration a profound responsibility and commitment to climate change, equity, and public actions that all Americans will benefit from. Sec. H… Continue Reading


03.10.21

Chair Grijalva Highlights GAO Report He Requested Finding U.S. Coasts at Risk Without Fish & Wildlife Service Consultation on Dredging, Other Projects

Washington, D.C. - Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) today highlighted new findings by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) that a 2019 Trump administration order to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) not to consult with federal stakeholders on many coastal preservation projects has led to unjustified coastal damage, excessive dredging and other harmful consequences. The findings come in a report, which Grijalva requested and which GAO published today, titled Fish and Wildlife … Continue Reading


02.04.21

Chair Grijalva: Trump-Era Rewrite of Migratory Bird Treaty Act Rule “Wasn’t Worth the Paper it’s Printed On,” Biden Right to Pause and Seek Public Input

Washington, D.C. - Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) today praised the Biden administration pause for a 30-day public comment period before finalizing any rewrite of a regulation implementing the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. The Trump administration published a final rule last month attempting to limit the scope of the law and eliminating penalties for the incidental - rather than intentional - injury or death of migratory birds. The rule, which would have had an effective date of Feb. 8, i… Continue Reading


12.21.20

Chair Grijalva Helps Secure Landmark Tribal Water Wins, Saguaro National Park Expansion, Renewable Energy, Insular Resources in End-of-Year Federal Funding Law

Washington D.C. - House Natural Resources Committee Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) today highlighted the inclusion of his Saguaro National Park Boundary Expansion Act, along with landmark tribal water priorities, renewable energy wins, and Insular provisions as part of the Fiscal Year 2021, Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 (H.R. 133) set to become law this week. H.R. 133 advances multiple tribal water rights settlements, including the largest water rights settlement in history be… Continue Reading


12.07.20

Chair Grijalva, Subcommittee Chairs Slam Rush to Lease Arctic Refuge Coastal Plain Before Biden Inauguration – Accelerated Timeline Violates BLM Rules

Washington, D.C. - Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) and Reps. Jared Huffman (D-Calif.), chair of the Subcommittee on Water, Oceans, and Wildlife, and Alan Lowenthal (D-Calif.), chair of the Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources, wrote to Interior Secretary David Bernhardt today seeking an explanation of how the Department of the Interior can move forward with a lease sale in the Coastal Plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge when it would be cutting short a comment period and… Continue Reading


12.04.20

Chair Grijalva Applauds House Passage of a Dozen Natural Resources Bills

Washington D.C. - Today, Natural Resources Committee Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) applauded the House passage of 12 bills within the Committee's jurisdiction. Bills passed on the House floor include legislation to protect big cats, reauthorize the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Commissioned Officer Corps, and strengthen access to health care for Urban Native Veterans. "This Committee is working to provide real solutions to challenges facing communities across the na… Continue Reading


08.17.20

Chair Grijalva: Trump Opening Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to Drilling is What Happens When Rejecting Science, Being Destructive is the Whole Point

Washington, D.C. - Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) today said the Trump administration's decision to open the entire Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to fossil fuel extraction is the inevitable consequence of empowering an administration for whom the principles of rejecting science and being destructive dictate national policy. He pointed to the House-passed bill protecting the Arctic Refuge, which Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has ignored. "Republicans talked a big game about l… Continue Reading

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