06.10.16

Media Advisory: Grijalva, Thompson to Hold Forum on the Dangers of Extremism on Public Lands

Washington, D.C. – House Natural Resources Committee Ranking Member Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) and Homeland Security Committee Ranking Member Bennie G. Thompson (D-Miss.) will hold a joint forum on the dangers of extremism on public lands on Wednesday, June 15 at 1:00 p.m. on Capitol Hill. Recent analyses have shown that attacks on federal land management officials and events like the armed takeover of Malheur National Wildlife Refuge are become increasingly common.

Grijalva, Thompson and other Democratic members of Congress will hear from a group of experts about how public land takeovers threaten homeland security, public lands, local communities and public servants. The forum will kick off an effort to increase federal agencies’ capacity to prevent and respond to extremist threats.

A recent report by the Center for American Progress found that since 2014, anti-government militants have led five armed takeovers of national public lands. In a survey released last year, state and local law enforcement agencies placed anti-government extremism as one of the top three terrorist threats in their jurisdictions. According to the Southern Poverty Law Center, anti-government groups grew by one third in 2015.

At the height of the Malheur takeover in Oregon earlier this year, House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), House Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) and 20 other Democrats signed Grijalva’s resolution urging the armed militia members in Oregon to leave the refuge and surrender peacefully to law enforcement officials. Since the 41-day takeover came to an end on February 11, 2016, House Republicans have refused to take congressional action to condemn the takeover or its perpetrators. House Natural Resources Committee Democrats have asked for an oversight hearing on the takeover, but Chairman Rob Bishop (R-Utah) has refused to acknowledge their request.

Event Details

 

WHAT: A House Democratic forum titled, “Countering Extremism on America’s Public Lands” on the emergence of anti-government extremist threats to public lands across the country

 

WHEN: Wednesday, June 15 at 1:00 p.m. EST

WHERE: House Visitor Center, Room 210 or tune in for the livestream, http://bit.ly/1sxC0XM  

WHO:

  • Ranking Member Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.), House Natural Resources Committee
  • Ranking Member Bennie G. Thompson (D-Miss.), Homeland Security Committee
  • Ranking Member Peter DeFazio (D-Ore.), House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure
  • Congressman Alan Lowenthal (D-Calif.)
  • Congresswoman Niki Tsongas (D-Mass.)
  • Congressman Jared Huffman (D-Calif.)
  • Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Texas)
  • Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-N.J.)
  • Richard Cohen, President of the Southern Poverty Law Center (witness)
  • J. J. MacNab, Center for Cyber and Homeland Security at The George Washington University (witness)
  • Tim Blount, Executive Director at the Friends of Malheur National Wildlife Refuge (witness)
  • David Jenkins, President at the Conservatives for Responsible Stewardship (witness)
  • Garrett Reppenhagen, Rocky Mountain Director at the Vet Voice Foundation (witness)

Please RSVP to diane.padilla@mail.house.gov

Press Contact

Media Contact: Diane Padilla

(202) 225-6065 or (202) 226-3522