12.10.15

Grijalva’s Bill to Permanently Reauthorize the Land and Water Conservation Fund Reaches 200 Bipartisan Cosponsors

Washington, D.C. – Ranking Member Raúl M. Grijalva’s bill (H.R. 1814) to permanently reauthorize the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) reached 200 bipartisan cosponsors today. LWCF is one of the nation’s most successful public land conservation programs, but Chairman Rob Bishop (R-Utah) allowed the Fund to expire for the first time in its 50-year history on September 30, 2015. Ranking Member Grijalva released the following statement on Chairman Bishop’s refusal to hold a hearing on his bill, despite its growing support from both Democrats and Republicans on both sides of the chamber.

“My Democratic and Republican colleagues have spoken and agree that it’s time to reauthorize the LWCF cleanly and permanently. At this point, I just need 18 more votes, you need 218 to pass a bill and I am confident that many Members who have yet to sign on as cosponsors would vote for it. I know my bill will pass.

“Chairman Bishop has an opportunity to embrace a bipartisan bill and move on to other pressing issues. However, he insists on trying to fix a program that isn’t broken. As each day passes, the Fund is losing  money and directly hurting communities that benefit from the program. It is our responsibility to ensure that our playgrounds, parks, refuges and baseball fields are available and accessible to everyone, but we can’t do that if LWCF isn’t reauthorized.”

 

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Press Contact

Media Contact: Diane Padilla

(202) 226-3522 or (202) 510-6181

Diane.Padilla@mail.house.gov