12.16.15

Grijalva Highlights Missed Opportunities, Bad Oil Export Language in Year-End Funding Deal, Still Reviewing Other Major Provisions

Washington, D.C. – Ranking Member Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) said Congress’ just-released year-end funding deal is full of missed opportunities to improve federal environmental policy and should not have allowed permanent U.S. oil exports alongside a short-term extension of renewable energy tax credits. Grijalva is still reviewing the deal ahead of Friday’s expected House vote.

“The Forest Service is facing a desperate shortage of wildfire funding and California is in the midst of an unprecedented drought,” Grijalva said. “These aren’t details to be worked out later – they’re day-to-day emergencies that will only get worse the longer we ignore them. Republican gamesmanship and hostage-taking resulted in these issues getting dropped from this deal. I can’t help thinking about the millions of Americans who face constant environmental stresses who woke up this morning wondering when Congress is going to acknowledge them.”

Grijalva said he strongly objected to the permanent authorization of oil exports, especially packaged alongside a five-year, non-permanent extension of renewable energy tax credits.

“This deal gives oil drillers an enormous policy win that does our economy no good and threatens the climate progress made in Paris,” Grijalva said. “Allowing a five-year renewable energy tax credit extension is cold comfort to everyone who supports a forward-looking clean energy economy and an end to constant oil favoritism in Congress. This was not crafted to help the nation, it was crafted to help well-connected political donors. The American public will rightly look back on this giveaway in anger, and if it becomes law we should repeal it as soon as possible.”

The funding deal renews the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) for three years over the objection of Chairman Rob Bishop (R-Utah), who said he would only accept a “two years max” extension after he blocked its routine reauthorization in September. The bill funds the LWCF at $450 million in fiscal year 2016.

“The Republicans funding LWCF for three years is not a major political concession, it’s a bare-minimum acknowledgement of reality,” Grijalva said. “It’s like allowing the sale of apple pie for another three years. My bill to permanently reauthorize the Fund has 200 bipartisan cosponsors. Chairman Bishop’s unnecessary changes found no support, even from his own leadership, in the final deal, and I hope that means we can put this trumped-up controversy to rest. I’m redoubling my efforts as of today to make sure we permanently reauthorize LWCF and move on to more pressing business.”

The omnibus deal largely ignores Bishop’s priorities. It does not include language delisting the gray wolf under the Endangered Species Act, does not otherwise weaken the Endangered Species Act, does not prevent federal regulation of ivory sales, and allows the Administration’s stream protection rule and efforts to protect habitat for the greater sage-grouse to move forward.

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