Newsletters
Ranking Member Grijalva, Reps. Huffman, Porter, Susie Lee, Levin Commend Biden Administration’s Proposed Oil and Gas Rule, Highlight Democrats’ Efforts
Washington, D.C. – House Natural Resources Committee Ranking Member Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.), Water, Wildlife, and Fisheries Subcommittee Ranking Member Jared Huffman (D-Calif.), Rep. Katie Porter (D-Calif.), Rep. Susie Lee (D-Nev.), and Mike Levin (D-Calif.) today issued the following statements on the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) newly proposed rule for onshore oil and gas leasing on public lands. The proposed rule reflects long overdue reforms to the leasing program th… Continue Reading
07.19.23
Ranking Member Grijalva, Rep. Gallego Celebrate Growing Momentum for Tribes’ Proposed Grand Canyon National Monument
Washington, D.C. – Today, House Natural Resources Committee Ranking Member Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) and Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) issued statements heralding continued progress on the tribal-led effort to ensure permanent protection of more than 1 million acres of public lands by designating the Baaj Nwaavjo I'tah Kukveni Grand Canyon National Monument. This past April, the Grand Canyon Tribal Coalition—leadership representatives of the Havasupai Tribe, Hopi Tribe, Hualapa… Continue Reading
06.29.23
READOUT: Ranking Member Grijalva Visits Puerto Rico, Discusses Puerto Rico Status Act and $1 Billion Puerto Rico Energy Resilience Fund
Washington, D.C. – This week, June 26-28, 2023, House Natural Resources Committee Ranking Member Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) visited Puerto Rico to discuss the Puerto Rico Status Act, the $1 billion Puerto Rico Energy Resilience Fund, and other federal legislative and oversight priorities, including Puerto Rico’s reconstruction, access to federal programs and resources, and the implementation of Puerto Rico Oversight, Management, and Economic Stability Act (PROMESA). CLICK HERE … Continue Reading
06.22.23
Ranking Member Grijalva Statement on Arizona v. Navajo Nation SCOTUS Decision
Washington, D.C. – House Natural Resources Committee Ranking Member Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) today issued the following statement on the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Arizona v. Navajo Nation. In the 5-4 decision, with a majority opinion authored by Associate Justice Brett Kavanaugh, the court ruled that the U.S. government’s treaty promise of providing a permanent homeland to the Navajo Nation doesn’t require the U.S. government to take modest steps to secure w… Continue Reading
06.21.23
Ranking Member Grijalva Statement on Biden Administration’s Proposed Updates to Endangered Species Act Regulations
Washington, D.C. – House Natural Resources Committee Ranking Member Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) today issued the following statement on the Biden administration’s newly proposed revisions to the three implementing regulations of the Endangered Species Act (ESA) that were issued under the Trump administration in 2019. The Trump-era regulations significantly weakened implementation of the ESA, a longstanding industry request. “With the dual threats of the climate crisis and … Continue Reading
06.15.23
Ranking Members Grijalva and Leger Fernández Celebrate SCOTUS Decision to Uphold Indian Child Welfare Act, Protect Native Families
Washington, D.C. – House Natural Resources Committee Ranking Member Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) and Indian and Insular Affairs Subcommittee Ranking Member Teresa Leger Fernández (D-N.M.) today issued the following statements on the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Brackeen v. Haaland, a case that challenged the constitutionality of the bipartisan Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA). ICWA has been instrumental in protecting the well-being and best interests of Native children and… Continue Reading
06.14.23
Ranking Member Grijalva Announces New Subcommittee Staff Director for Indian Affairs
Washington, D.C. – House Natural Resources Committee Ranking Member Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) today announced Bobby Ahern as the new Subcommittee Staff Director for Indian Affairs on the Indian and Insular Affairs Subcommittee. Brian Modeste remains the Subcommittee Staff Director for Insular Affairs. Ahern, a member of the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs in Oregon, comes to the Committee from Senator Ron Wyden’s (D-Ore.) office, where he has served as Senior Policy Adviso… Continue Reading
06.07.23
Committee Announces Bipartisan Task Force Combatting Chinese Government's Influence in the Indo-Pacific
Washington, D.C. – Today, House Committee on Natural Resources Ranking Member Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) and Chairman Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.) announced the formation of a bipartisan task force that will conduct oversight on issues facing the U.S. territories and Freely Associated States (FAS) in the Indo-Pacific region. “Our relationships with the U.S. territories and Freely Associated States in the Indo-Pacific region are critical to our national security, especially as we fa… Continue Reading
06.02.23
Ranking Member Grijalva Cheers New Protections for Sacred Chaco Canyon Area
Washington, D.C. – House Natural Resources Committee Ranking Member Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) today issued the following statement on U.S. Department of the Interior Secretary Deb Haaland’s announcement of a 20-year moratorium on new oil and gas leasing within a 10-mile radius of Chaco Culture National Historical Park. “A place as special and sacred as Chaco Canyon deserves protections that extend beyond the park’s limited boundaries,” Ranking Member Grijalva… Continue Reading
06.01.23
On Anniversary of June 1 Crackdown on Peaceful Protesters in Lafayette Square, Ranking Member Grijalva Releases Report with New Evidence on the Trump Administration’s Involvement
Washington, D.C. – House Natural Resources Committee Ranking Member Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) and minority staff today released an investigation report titled, “Bible Beating: The Trump Administration’s Violent Crackdown on Peaceful Protestors in Lafayette Square on June 1, 2020,” on the third anniversary of the incident. CLICK HERE for the full report. On June 1, 2020, during a peaceful protest in Washington, D.C.’s Lafayette Square, law enforcement office… Continue Reading
05.29.23
Ranking Member Grijalva Statement on Environmental Rollbacks and Mountain Valley Pipeline Provisions in Budget Agreement
Washington, D.C. - Following yesterday's release of bill text for a budget agreement, House Natural Resources Committee Ranking Member Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) today issued the following statement on provisions that roll back key protections under our bedrock environmental and public health laws, namely the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). Among other things, the bill limits the types of projects subject to NEPA review, allows polluters to conduct their own environmental review… Continue Reading
05.24.23
Ranking Member Grijalva Statement on New Government Watchdog Report Finding Park Police Used Excessive Force at June 1 Protest
Washington, D.C. - House Natural Resources Committee Ranking Member Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) today issued the following statement on a new report from the U.S. Department of the Interior's Office of Inspector General (OIG), which found that U.S. Park Police (USPP) used excessive force against two members of the news media during peaceful protests in Lafayette Park on June 1, 2020. The protest demonstration was a result of systemic police violence against Black people, namely the brutal … Continue Reading
05.24.23
At Subcommittee Hearing, Democrats Counter Extremist GOP Attacks on Commonsense Conservation Rule and Antiquities Act
Washington, D.C. - At today's Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee hearing, Ranking Member Melanie Stansbury (D-N.M.) delivered the following opening statement countering Republican's partisan attacks on the Antiquities Act and the Bureau of Land Management's (BLM) new rule to better balance conservation with extraction in land management decisions. WATCH Ranking Member Stansbury's full statement. The transcript is available below. During the hearing, Committee Ranking Member Raúl… Continue Reading
05.20.23
Interior Secretary Haaland Upholds Commitment to Visit Proposed Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni Grand Canyon National Monument, Meets with Tribal Leaders
GRAND CANYON NATIONAL PARK, Ariz. – Today, House Natural Resources Committee Ranking Member Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) and staff from Senator Kyrsten Sinema’s (I-Ariz.) office joined U.S. Department of the Interior Secretary Deb Haaland on a visit to the South Rim of the Grand Canyon and the area that the Grand Canyon Tribal Coalition has proposed for designation as the Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni Grand Canyon National Monument. Secretary Haaland accepted Ranking Membe… Continue Reading
05.19.23
Ranking Member Grijalva, Sen. Heinrich Introduce Mining Reform Legislation to Protect Communities, Tribal Consultation, and Environment
Washington, D.C. - House Natural Resources Ranking Member Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) and Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) today introduced House and Senate versions of the Clean Energy Minerals Reform Act to modernize the nation's severely antiquated Mining Law of 1872. The bills will address major environmental justice concerns, protect the environment, and ensure a fair return for the American people. Ranking Member Grijalva's Clean Energy Minerals Reform Act resources: BILL TEXT | SECTI… Continue Reading
05.18.23
Ranking Member Grijalva, Sen. Blumenthal Introduce Extinction Prevention Act to Protect Highly Imperiled, Less “Charismatic” Wildlife
Washington, D.C. – In advance of Endangered Species Day, House Natural Resources Committee Ranking Member Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) and Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) today introduced House and Senate versions of the Extinction Prevention Act. The legislation provides much-needed funding for some of the country’s most imperiled yet vastly underfunded wildlife species, including threatened and endangered North American butterflies, various Pacific Island plants, freshwater mu… Continue Reading
05.15.23
Opinion | Gutting the National Environmental Policy Act is a Political Vendetta, Not Permitting Reform
House Natural Resources Committee Ranking Member Raúl M. Grijalva and Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee Ranking Member Melanie Stansbury authored a new opinion piece for The Hill on the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). The Natural Resources Committee is the sole House committee of jurisdiction over NEPA. At the end of March, House Republicans passed H.R. 1, a shameless giveaway of handouts and loopholes to the oil, gas, and mining industries, fittingly dubbed the Pollute… Continue Reading
05.11.23
At Subcommittee Hearing, NEPA Expert Debunks Industry-Driven Rhetoric about Energy Project Delays and Permitting Reform Needs
Washington, D.C. - At today's Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee hearing with Ranking Member Melanie Stansbury (D-N.M.), witness Jamie Pleune, Professor of Law at the University of Utah's S.J. Quinney College of Law, provided testimony highlighting her extensive research on the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). NEPA is critical in protecting communities against pollution, particularly those that have been overburdened by irresponsible industry action for too long. CLICK HERE to w… Continue Reading
05.09.23
Ranking Member Grijalva, Rep. Peltola, Rep. Gallego Discuss Importance of Indian Child Welfare Act with Expert Panel
Washington, D.C. – Today, House Natural Resources Committee Ranking Member Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.), joined by Rep. Mary Sattler Peltola (D-Alaska) and Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), held a virtual roundtable to discuss the history and significance of the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA). The roundtable represents the first congressional effort to examine ICWA since the onset of recent litigation. CLICK HERE to watch a recording of the roundtable. Prior to passage of ICWA in 1978… Continue Reading
05.05.23
Ranking Member Grijalva, Rep. Newhouse Lead Resolution to Designate National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Native Women and Girls
Washington, D.C. - Today, Ranking Member Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) and Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-Wash.) led their House colleagues in introducing H. Res. 353, a resolution to designate May 5, 2023 as the National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls. CLICK HERE for full text of the resolution. Data reveals that Indigenous communities experience violence at disproportionate rates in this country, which impacts women, girls, elders, and two-spirit relatives. T… Continue Reading