November 14, 2018
As Democrats prepare to take the House Majority in January, three Democratic Committee leaders, whose committees have jurisdiction over climate change, announced today that their committees will hold a series of hearings over a two-day period early next year to assess the effects of climate change and the need for action.
The announcement was made by Energy and Commerce Ranking Member Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ), Natural Resources Ranking Member Raúl M. Grijalva (D-AZ) and Science, Space … Continue Reading
November 02, 2018
Natural Resources Committee Democrats today published the first post in a new Medium series called Watchdog, which connects the dots and offers the public a clear explanation of Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke's multiple ethical failures. The opening post brings publicly available information up to date, including recent reports that the White House is concerned Zinke may have broken federal rules.
Watchdog follows closely on Democrats' recent Wasted Resources series highlighting Committee Republ… Continue Reading
November 01, 2018
Ranking Member Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) released the following statement on recent reports that the Trump administration's reorganization of the Interior Department is expected to be complete by July 1, 2019.
"Secretary Zinke and Deputy Secretary Bernhardt are smashing the Interior Department to pieces and telling employees to pick up the mess. The organizational plan described here is unworkable for a number of reasons and demands oversight that Republicans on this Committee have cons… Continue Reading
September 13, 2018
Back in June, 14 Democrats on the House Natural Resources Committee requested a "timely" hearing into the "staggering loss of American life and the significant variance from officially reported figures points to the need for further oversight" from Maria (which occurred almost a year ago). A spokesperson for the committee's Democrats told ThinkProgress the chairman did not do so.… Continue Reading
June 20, 2018
Rep. Raúl Grijalva is promising aggressive oversight of the Interior Department if Democrats win the House this fall, something he says has been ignored by the Republicans now in charge of the House Natural Resources Committee.
Grijalva, who has represented a Tucson, Ariz.-based district since 2003 and has risen to become the top Democrat on the resources panel, said the "arrogant" Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke has turned his department into a "personality cult" for himself while declini… Continue Reading
June 13, 2018
House Republicans put forward a proposal this week to impose hefty fees on states that do not approve of drilling for oil and natural gas off their coasts, a move that would pressure local leaders who oppose the Trump administration's plan to expand offshore leasing.
The administration's plan has been met with stiff resistance from many Democrats and even Republicans in coastal communities. Elected leaders in several seaside states even vowed to block the federal government from allowing offsho… Continue Reading
July 18, 2018
Anti-government extremists disguising themselves as populists have already latched on to President Donald Trump's July 10 pardon of Dwight and Steven Hammond, a father-and-son ranching duo who set fire to federal lands, to argue that attacking public property is now legal activism. The public should not be fooled by this argument or misunderstand where it leads, and Congress needs to exercise its oversight authority to clarify that the Trump administration hasn't written a blank check to a dangerous ideology.… Continue Reading
July 03, 2018
Opinion: Uranium would enjoy looser environmental and permitting standards because of its importance to 'national security and economic prosperity,' U.S. Rep. Raul Grijalva says.
On May 18, the Department of the Interior released a list of 35 minerals set to enjoy looser environmental and permitting standards because of their importance to "national security and economic prosperity." The list includes uranium even though DOI's screening tool suggested it didn't meet the criteria.
The Grand Can… Continue Reading
June 05, 2018
Both the utilities that own NGS and the entities that purchase its power have stated, repeatedly, that competition from cheaper energy sources on the open market has led them to move away from NGS. This sounds like a perfect example of competition working its magic to provide consumers with a cheaper product.
Rather than embracing the market's decision, Republican lawmakers have doubled down on their allegiance to coal companies like Peabody Energy for the sake of artificially propping up NGS. In doing so, they have tossed their professed commitment to limited government out the window. On May 9, my colleague Rep. Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.) unveiled a draft bill that would force the CAWCD to purchase above-market-price power from NGS for the foreseeable future.… Continue Reading
May 14, 2018
Last week Ranking Member Grijalva and Rep Lowenthal, the top Democrat on the Energy and Mineral Resources Subcommittee, introduced the Hardrock Leasing and Reclamation Act of 2018.
The Grijalva-Lowenthal bill requires hardrock mining operations to meet some of the same requirements and standards that already apply to oil, gas, and coal development on public lands. Among other measures, the bill would:
Eliminate the antiquated use of mining claims, and create a leasing system for hardrock mi… Continue Reading
May 08, 2018
Today marks the 230th day since our fellow Americans living in Puerto Rico lost power and were devastated by Hurricane Maria. Many people living on the island are still lacking power and still need assistance from the federal government. Instead of addressing the immediate needs of the people, Chairman Rob Bishop (R-Utah) traveled to Puerto Rico to promote oil and gas projects and discuss importing fossil fuels to the island. Bishop has continuously ignored the fact that renewable energy sources… Continue Reading
April 24, 2018
The House is voting on H.R. 3144 on Wednesday - also known as the Columbia River Salmon Extinction Act - which will drive the Pacific Northwest's salmon runs closer to extinction. Federal agencies have been ordered by the courts to develop a new salmon recovery plan to bring back dwindling salmon populations. H.R. 3144 attempts to mandate an outdated recovery plan that won't recover salmon and that has been deemed illegal by federal courts. Ranking Member Grijalva opposes the bill for the follow… Continue Reading
October 22, 2018
October 19, 2018
October 18, 2018
October 31, 2018
June 19, 2018
A June 19, 2018, report by the Government Accountability Office on the oil and gas industry frequently leasing public land and doing nothing with it.… Continue Reading
June 05, 2018
A June 5, 2018, GAO report on the high cost to taxpayers of orphaned oil and gas wells. The report finds that the Bureau of Land Management has not kept accurate records of such costs.… Continue Reading
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March 15, 2018
