Newsletters
Comprehensive New IG Report Highlights Urgent Need for Interior Dept. to Take Greater Action Against Sexual Harassment
Washington, D.C. - The Office of the Inspector General (OIG) for the Department of the Interior (DOI) today released a new report, Opportunities Exist To Improve the U.S. Department of the Interior's Efforts To Address Sexual Harassment, that confirms in detail the need for the department and its agencies to take stronger action against sexual harassment of employees. Committee on Natural Resources Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) released the following statement: "The OIG has done a gre… Continue Reading
07.30.19
IG Investigation Requested by Chairs Grijalva, Cummings of Former Secretary Zinke’s Email Use is Now Part of Larger Justice Department Criminal Probe
Washington, D.C. - The Office of the Inspector General (OIG) for the Department of the Interior (DOI) has confirmed that its investigation of former Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke's email use - an investigation requested by Committee on Natural Resources Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) and Committee on Oversight and Reform Chairman Elijah Cummings (D-Md.) - has been folded into a larger criminal probe being coordinated with the Department of Justice (DOJ). On April 19, 2018, the lawmaker… Continue Reading
07.30.19
Chair Grijalva, Rep. Lowenthal Push Interior Secretary for Documents as DOI Ignores Taxpayer Risks of Offshore Oil and Gas Decommissioning Costs
Washington, D.C. - Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) and Rep. Alan S. Lowenthal (D-Calif.), Chair of the Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources, sent a letter today to Interior Secretary David Bernhardt seeking documents on the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management's (BOEM) decision to cancel regulatory measures that would have protected U.S. taxpayers from billions of dollars in costs to remove disused offshore oil and gas infrastructure. The letter questions BOEM's failure to develop n… Continue Reading
07.29.19
Chair Grijalva and Leading Democrats Push Interior Secretary for Documents, Urge Arctic Leasing Pause Pending Investigation of Political Pressure
Washington, D.C. - Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) and three senior Democrats on the House Natural Resources Committee sent a letter to Interior Secretary David Bernhardt today seeking documents that might explain the rewriting of a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) - initially prepared by career staff at multiple agencies within the Department of the Interior (DOI) - to downplay the risks of new oil and gas drilling along the coastal plain of Alaska. The letter - also signed… Continue Reading
07.26.19
Leading Democrats Reject Trump Administration Management Plan for Bears Ears National Monument – Chair Grijalva Calls Release “Cynical”
Washington, D.C. - Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) and other leading Democrats on the House Natural Resources Committee today questioned the untimely release of the Department of the Interior's update to the Bears Ears National Monument Management Plan (MMP), which comes in the wake of President Trump's illegal decision to reduce the Bears Ears National Monument by 85 percent. Trump's reduction of Bears Ears and the illegal reductions made to the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monume… Continue Reading
07.25.19
Natural Resources Committee Will Hold Sept. 10 Hearing on Interior Secretary Bernhardt’s Order to Relocate Bureau of Land Management to Colorado
Washington, D.C. - The House Committee on Natural Resources will hold a hearing at 10:00 a.m. Eastern time on Tuesday, Sept. 10 - shortly after the House returns from the August recess - on the Trump administration's decision relocate the Bureau of Land Management headquarters to Grand Junction, Colo., and to move other offices and functions of the agency to offices across the West. The hearing will address the Trump administration's failure to offer any meaningful justification for the move, t… Continue Reading
07.25.19
Chair Grijalva Releases Video Statement on Puerto Rico’s Future – “We’re Going to Move Forward on PROMESA”
Washington, D.C. - Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) released an online video statement after Puerto Rican Gov. Ricardo Rosselló announced he would resign on Aug. 2. Facebook: http://bit.ly/2JUbcg1 Twitter: http://bit.ly/2LHgT2G Key excerpt: I don't want the governance crisis that's going on in Puerto Rico with the governor to be a reason that Congress, in particular Republicans, and the Trump administration use as an excuse to limit, restrict, and otherwise affect the aid and s… Continue Reading
07.24.19
Chair Grijalva: “Gov. Rosselló Resignation is the Beginning of the Rebuilding Process – Now the Trump Humanitarian Blockade Needs to End”
Washington, D.C. - Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz) released the following statement on multiple reports this morning that Puerto Rican Gov. Ricardo Rosselló will resign. "Gov. Rosselló's overdue resignation is a significant step in the recovery process, not the end. The people of Puerto Rico have shown the world what can happen when a united public demands justice and accountability with a clear voice. Now they must choose what comes next, and Congress must listen. Reformi… Continue Reading
07.22.19
Chair Grijalva: “Gov. Rosselló Needs to Resign Immediately to Allow Puerto Rico to Move Forward – Important Discussions Can’t Happen in a Crisis”
Washington, D.C. - Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz) this morning reiterated that, given the massive protests happening today led by Puerto Rican people around the world, Puerto Rico Gov. Ricardo Rosselló needs to resign immediately to restore stability on the island and credibility for the local government. Grijalva was the first member of Congress to call for his resignation. Last night, Gov. Rosselló announced his intention not to seek re-election in 2020 and to resign fro… Continue Reading
07.17.19
Natural Resources Committee Passes Bill to Protect Chaco Canyon from Future Drilling – Vote Follows Field Hearing in April That Revealed Enormous Local Support
Washington D.C. - The House Natural Resources Committee today approved Assistant Speaker Rep. Ben Ray Luján's (D-N.M.) H.R. 2181, the Chaco Cultural Heritage Area Protection Act, which withdraws federal land around New Mexico's Chaco Culture National Historical Park from future oil and gas leasing. The bill is co-sponsored by Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.), Committee Vice-Chair Rep. Deb Haaland (D-N.M.), Rep. Xochitl Torres Small (D-N.M.), Rep. Alan Lowenthal (D-Calif), Rep. Rube… Continue Reading
07.17.19
Natural Resources Committee Passes Grijalva Bills to Protect Grand Canyon From Uranium Mining, Remove Uranium From “Critical Minerals” List
Washington, D.C. - The House Natural Resources Committee just approved Chair Raúl M. Grijalva's (D-Ariz.) bills to protect the Grand Canyon from new uranium mining claims (H.R. 1373, the Grand Canyon Centennial Protection Act) and to remove uranium from the federal critical minerals list (H.R. 3405, Removing Uranium From the Critical Minerals List Act). Taken together, the bills represent a concerted effort to end the mining industry's push for special treatment from the federal governmen… Continue Reading
07.15.19
Chair Grijalva on Expected Bureau of Land Management Move to Colorado: This is Industry Favoritism and Staff Cutting, Not Improving Public Service
Washington, D.C. - Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) released the following statement on reports that Interior Secretary David Bernhardt intends to move the Bureau of Land Management headquarters from Washington, D.C., to Grand Junction, Colo. Bernhardt, a native of nearby Rifle, Colo., and other top Interior officials have resisted the Committee's calls for transparency on the Trump administration's plans to "reorganize" the Interior Department or affiliated agencies. "This administrat… Continue Reading
07.11.19
In New Video, Local Voices From Coal Communities Highlight Human Costs of Relentless Coal Mining, Need for Real Economic Diversification
Washington, D.C. - A new video from the House Natural Resources Committee majority, based on multiple interviews with coal country leaders and spokespeople, highlights the high economic and human health toll of coal mining and the lack of economic diversification that has resulted from an overreliance on industry promises. The video, available at http://bit.ly/2LiarPq, tracks the stories of West Virginia and Kentucky coal communities that face below average life expectancies, entrenched poverty,… Continue Reading
07.10.19
Chair Grijalva: Arrest of Several Leading Puerto Rican Officials is Troubling: “Gov. Rosselló Needs to Take Steps to Restore His Government’s Credibility”
Washington, D.C. - Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) today said that, given this morning's FBI arrests of high-ranking former Puerto Rican government officials and a key private-sector accounting executive, Puerto Rico Gov. Ricardo Rosselló needs to take immediate steps to restore his administration's credibility and protect the interests of the Puerto Rican people. Federal law enforcement officials held a press conference at 11:00 a.m. Eastern time today to discuss the arrests and … Continue Reading
07.08.19
As Trump Tries to Defend Environmental Record, Report by Chair Grijalva Assesses Environmental Damage Through Budget Cuts & Policy Giveaways
Washington, D.C. - Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) released a report today revealing the extent of the Trump administration's environmental destruction. The report - which comes shortly after President Trump concluded a speech on his environmental record that avoided any mention of climate change - outlines the administration's broad range of regulatory rollbacks, industry giveaways and funding cuts since taking office. The report, titled President Trump is Attacking Our Natural Resourc… Continue Reading
07.03.19
Chair Grijalva Pushes Interior Secretary for Answers on Trump’s Use of National Park Service Visitor Funds to Pay for Military Parade on Fourth of July
Tucson, Ariz. - Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) today sent a letter to Interior Secretary David Bernhardt pushing for clarification on how the Trump administration is funding the president's military parade and campaign rally on the Fourth of July. The Washington Post recently reported that Trump officials intend to use approximately $2.5 million in National Park Service (NPS) visitor enhancement funds to cover certain costs for the event, which will feature an Air Force flyover and tank… Continue Reading
07.03.19
In Newly Submitted Comments, Chair Grijalva Raises Serious Environmental and Social Concerns With Proposed Construction of U.S.-Mexico Border Wall
Tucson, Ariz. - Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) today sent formal comments opposing the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) proposal to build 63 miles of new border wall in Pima and Cochise counties in Arizona along the U.S-Mexico border, approximately 300 miles of which is in Grijalva's district. The proposed wall would damage communities throughout the region and cut through federally protected public lands, including Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Refuge, Organ Pipe National Mon… Continue Reading
07.01.19
Chair Grijalva, Ranking Member Bishop Seek Documents as Investigation of Alleged Human Rights Abuses by Wildlife Advocacy Groups Intensifies
Washington D.C. - Today, Natural Resources Committee Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) and Ranking Member Rob Bishop (R-Utah) sent a letter to Carter Roberts, the President and CEO of the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), requesting documents on WWF's procedures, role in, and knowledge of alleged human rights abuses revealed by Buzzfeed News in March. The letter can be viewed at http://bit.ly/2KO8473. The letter summarizes the concerns: "Despite the importance of protecting wildlife and preven… Continue Reading
07.01.19
Chair Grijalva, Rep. Lowenthal Release GAO Report on Industry’s Compliance With Fossil Fuel Royalties, Look Ahead to Taxpayer Protection Bill
Washington, D.C. - Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) and Rep. Alan Lowenthal (D-Calif.), Chair of the Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources, today released a Government Accountability Office (GAO) report finding that the Department of the Interior's (DOI) Office of Natural Resources Revenue (ONRR) should do more to ensure industry pays the royalties it owes the public from the extraction of public oil and gas resources. The GAO report, Federal Oil and Gas Royalties: Additional Acti… Continue Reading
06.28.19
Chair Grijalva, Rep. McEachin Launch Historic Effort to Draft Environmental Justice Bill Based on Public Feedback at Environmental Justice Convening
Washington D.C. - Chair Raúl Grijalva (D-Ariz.) and Rep. A. Donald McEachin (D-Va.) hosted a historic all-day environmental justice convening in the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday, featuring an interactive tool allowing advocates from around the country to weigh in on the principles underlying a forthcoming bill to protect their communities' legal rights. The unprecedented event brought national policymakers, environmental leaders and local advocates together to begin a dialogue on the future … Continue Reading