Press Releases
Government Watchdog Raises Alarm on Major Safety Issues at Detention Centers in Indian Country; Grijalva Warns Against Further Budget Cuts
Washington, D.C. - House Natural Resources Committee Ranking Member Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) today issued the following statement on a newly released Management Advisory from the U.S. Department of the Interior's Office of Inspector General (OIG) highlighting immediate health and safety concerns at detention facilities funded and/or operated by the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA). The three specific facilities include the San Carlos Apache Adult/Juvenile Detention Center, the White Mount… Continue Reading
04.26.23
Ranking Member Grijalva Statement on House Passage of Republicans’ Default on America Act
Washington, D.C. - House Natural Resources Committee Ranking Member Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) today issued the following statement on House passage of Republicans' H.R. 2811, also known as the Default on America (DOA) Act, which is a ransom note of cruel cuts that hurt working Americans and tank our economic recovery. No Democrats voted for the bill. Within the agencies under the Committee's jurisdiction-the U.S. Department of the Interior, the U.S. Forest Service, and the National Ocea… Continue Reading
04.21.23
Ranking Member Grijalva, Sen. Duckworth, Rep. Lee, Sen. Booker Issue Joint Statement Cheering President Biden’s Environmental Justice For All Executive Order
Washington, D.C. - House Natural Resources Committee Ranking Member Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.), Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Calif.), and Senator Cory Booker (D-N.J.) today issued the following statement on President Biden's newly signed Executive Order, Revitalizing Our Nation's Commitment to Environmental Justice for All. The Order mirrors several key priorities from the lawmakers' A. Donald McEachin Environmental Justice For All Act, the most comprehensive envi… Continue Reading
04.20.23
Ranking Member Grijalva, 14 Members Introduce Resolution Rejecting Insular Cases as Racist and Contrary to the Constitution
Washington, D.C. - Natural Resources Committee Ranking Member Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) today introduced a congressional resolution, with 14 other members of Congress, rejecting the early 20th century U.S. Supreme Court decisions referred to as the Insular Cases. The resolution argues that these cases rely on a racist, Plessy-era doctrine of “separate and unequal” to establish the relationship between the United States and its territories, made clear by the inclusion of deeply … Continue Reading
04.20.23
Líder de la minoría del Comité, Grijalva, Reps. González-Colón, Velázquez, Soto, Ocasio-Cortez, Hoyer, Torres presentan Ley para el Estatus de Puerto Rico
En una conferencia de prensa hoy, el líder de la minoría del Comité de Recursos Naturales Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) acompañado por los coauspiciadores originales, la representante Nydia M. Velázquez (D-N.Y.), la comisionada residente Jenniffer González-Colón (R- Puerto Rico), el representante Darren Soto (D-Fla.) y el representante Steny H. Hoyer (D-Md.), así como el gobernador de Puerto Rico, Pedro R. Pierluisi, para anunciar la re… Continue Reading
04.20.23
Ranking Member Grijalva, Reps. González-Colón, Velázquez, Soto, Ocasio-Cortez, Hoyer, Torres Introduce Puerto Rico Status Act
Washington, D.C. - At a press conference today, Natural Resources Committee Ranking Member Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) was joined by original cosponsors Rep. Nydia M. Velázquez (D-N.Y.), Resident Commissioner Jenniffer González-Colón (R-Puerto Rico), Rep. Darren Soto (D-Fla.), and Rep. Steny H. Hoyer (D-Md.), as well as Governor of Puerto Rico Pedro R. Pierluisi, to announce the re-introduction of the Puerto Rico Status Act. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) and R… Continue Reading
04.19.23
Interior Secretary Haaland Commits to Visiting Tribes’ Proposed Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni Grand Canyon National Monument Area
Washington, D.C. – At today’s House Natural Resources Committee hearing, U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) Secretary Deb Haaland accepted an invitation from Ranking Member Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) to visit the area that the Grand Canyon Tribal Coalition has proposed for designation as the Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni Grand Canyon National Monument. WATCH Secretary Haaland accept Ranking Member Grijalva’s invitation to visit the proposed Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah … Continue Reading
04.19.23
At Budget Hearing, Grijalva Calls Out House GOP for Proposing to Gut Interior, Hurt Americans with Reckless Budget Cuts and Chaos
Washington, D.C. - Today, at a House Natural Resources Committee hearing on the President Biden's FY 2024 budget request for the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI), Ranking Member Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) delivered the following opening statement blasting Republicans for proposing devasting cuts across the federal agencies, including DOI. WATCH Ranking Member Grijalva's full statement. The transcript is available below. Amidst the chaos and confusion House Republicans are causing … Continue Reading
04.11.23
Grijalva, Sen. Sinema Proud to Join Tribes in Calling on President Biden to Designate Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni Grand Canyon National Monument
Washington, D.C. - During a virtual press conference held earlier today, House Natural Resources Committee Ranking Member Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) and Senator Kyrsten Sinema (I-Ariz.) joined members of the Grand Canyon Tribal Coalition as they launched an effort to call on President Joe Biden to use his authorities under the Antiquities Act of 1906 to designate the Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni Grand Canyon National Monument. Baaj Nwaavjo means “where tribes roam” for the Havasupai Tribe and I’ta… Continue Reading
04.05.23
Grijalva Urges Biden Administration to Save Oak Flat From Foreign Mining Company Backed by Chinese Government, Requests Committee Hearing
Washington, D.C. - House Natural Resources Committee Ranking Member Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) today sent a letter to U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack urging him to withhold publication of a Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) on proposed copper mining operations in Arizona's Tonto National Forest. These mining operations threaten to violate religious freedoms by permanently destroying Oak Flat, or Chí'chil Bi?dagoteel, which is sacred to many tribal com… Continue Reading
04.05.23
During National Public Health Week, Grijalva Introduces Bill to Extend Federal Health Benefits to Tribal University and Urban Health Care Employees
Washington, D.C. - House Natural Resources Committee Ranking Member Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) today announced the introduction of H.R. 2376, which will extend federal employee health benefits (FEHB) to employees of Urban Indian Organizations (UIOs) and Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs). CLICK HERE for full bill text. H.R. 2376 takes an important step to increase health equity and address health disparities for tribal employees. Although employees at UIOs and TCUs are considered p… Continue Reading
03.30.23
Ranking Member Grijalva Applauds Action by Biden Administration to Restore and Protect Our Public Lands
Washington, D.C. - House Natural Resources Committee Ranking Member Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) today issued the following statement on the U.S. Department of the Interior's newly proposed Public Lands Rule, which will improve the management of our public lands by building resilience against climate change, conserving important landscapes and habitats, and better protecting wildlife and cultural resources. "With nearly a quarter of our carbon pollution coming from fossil fuel production o… Continue Reading
03.30.23
Ranking Member Grijalva Statement on House Republicans’ Passage of Polluters Over People Act
Washington, D.C. - House Natural Resources Committee Ranking Member Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) today issued the following statement on Republicans' passage of H.R. 1, the Polluters Over People Act, through the House. The Polluters Over People Act is a shameless giveaway of handouts and loopholes to the oil, gas, mining, and other polluting industries. This legislation puts Americans in harm's way by gutting our bedrock and environmental and public health laws and ignoring the climate cris… Continue Reading
03.28.23
Ranking Member Grijalva Blasts House Republicans' H.R. 1, The Polluters Over People Act
Washington, D.C. - On the House floor today, Natural Resources Committee Ranking Member Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) spoke against Republicans' H.R. 1, the Polluters Over People Act, which is a shameless giveaway to the oil, gas, mining, and other polluting industries. The Polluters Over People Act puts Americans in harm's way by gutting our bedrock and environmental and public health laws and ignoring the climate crisis-all in the name of fast-tracking polluter projects. WATCH Ranking Mem… Continue Reading
03.28.23
Ranking Member Grijalva Requests Hearing on Alarming Climate Change Report
Washington, D.C. - House Natural Resources Committee Ranking Member Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) sent a letter calling on Chair Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.) to hold a hearing to examine the findings of last week's Sixth Assessment Report from the United Nations' Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). The report asserts that we must pursue "urgent, effective, and equitable mitigation and adaptation actions" to stop global warming. READ the full letter here. Synthesizing research fro… Continue Reading
03.24.23
Ranking Member Grijalva Applauds Court Ruling to Limit Funds Entitled to Bondholders in PREPA Bankruptcy Case
Washington, D.C. - House Natural Resources Committee Ranking Member Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) today issued the following statement on U.S. District Judge Laura Taylor Swain's Wednesday ruling that holders of Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority (PREPA) bonds do not have a secure claim to the utility's current and future revenue and are only entitled to the value of funds in existing PREPA reserve accounts. The U.S. District Court also ruled that bondholders had an unsecured claim to the … Continue Reading
03.24.23
Congressional Budget Office Says H.R. 1, Republicans’ “Polluters Over People” Bill, Will Increase the Deficit
House Natural Resources Committee Ranking Member Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) today issued the following statement on the Congressional Budget Office's (CBO) newly released estimate that Republicans' H.R. 1, the "Polluters Over People Act," will increase the federal deficit by $2.4 billion over the next ten years. CBO further warned that the bill would add another $5 billion or more to that number in a subsequent ten-year period. "We already knew that Republicans' H.R. 1 was throwing the A… Continue Reading
03.22.23
Ranking Member Grijalva, Rep. Lee, Senators Duckworth and Booker Introduce the A. Donald McEachin Environmental Justice For All Act
Washington, D.C. – Today, on World Water Day, Ranking Member Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.), Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Calif.), Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) and Senator Cory Booker (D-N.J.) reintroduced the newly named A. Donald McEachin Environmental Justice For All Act at a bicameral press conference, joined by Vice Ranking Member Sydney Kamlager-Dove (D-Calif.) and a diverse array of grassroots groups, youth advocates, and environmental justice community leaders from across the coun… Continue Reading
03.21.23
Ranking Member Grijalva Cheers Avi Kwa Ame and Castner Range National Monuments, Pacific Remote Islands Conservation
Washington, D.C. - House Natural Resources Committee Ranking Member Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) today issued the following statement on President Biden's designation of two new national monuments: Avi Kwa Ame National Monument in Nevada and Castner Range National Monument in Texas. President Biden also announced that he will be directing the Secretary of Commerce to initiate a new National Marine Sanctuary designation for the U.S. waters surrounding the Pacific Remote Islands, as well as s… Continue Reading
03.13.23
Grijalva, Ocasio-Cortez, Huffman, and Sen. Markey Issue Joint Statement on Willow Project Decision
Washington, D.C. - House Natural Resources Committee Ranking Member Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.), Energy and Mineral Resources Subcommittee Ranking Member Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), Water, Wildlife and Fisheries Subcommittee Ranking Member Jared Huffman (D-Calif.), and Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), Chair of the Senate Environment and Public Works Subcommittee on Clean Air, Climate, and Nuclear Safety today issued the following joint statement on the Biden administration's fina… Continue Reading