Press Releases
Chair Grijalva: New Federal Fossil Fuel Leasing Report Shows Why Admin Must Move Forward With Rulemakings While Congress Advances Reform Bills
Tucson, Ariz. - Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) said today that the newly released Biden administration report on updating the federal oil and gas leasing program shows the need for the administration to initiate rulemakings as soon as possible to reduce public subsidies for the fossil fuel industry, increase royalties for the public and increase public transparency in the leasing process. Grijalva said the report shows Congress must pass leasing reform bills to make necessary changes as… Continue Reading
11.19.21
Grijalva Praises Sec. Haaland for Removing Outdated and Derogatory Place Names from Federal Lands
Washington, D.C. - Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) praised Interior Secretary Deb Haaland today for announcing that she will take action to remove derogatory names from federal lands. Secretary Haaland issued two Secretarial Orders that would immediately remove the word "squaw" from more than 650 federal sites and establish an Advisory Committee to solicit public input on the fate of other potentially offensive place names. "Today's decisions by Secretary Haaland are timely and welcome.… Continue Reading
11.19.21
Grijalva Praises Passage of Build Back Better Act, Cites Strong Environmental Provisions
Washington, D.C. - Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) issued the following statement following the House passage of the Build Back Better Act, highlighting the Act's strong conservation provisions, including funding for climate adaptation and firefighting, drought relief, and coastal restoration similar to the provisions passed by the Committee in September. Chair Grijalva noted the bill's strong investments in environmental justice and funding to increase community input on major federal … Continue Reading
11.17.21
Chair Grijalva Applauds New Biden Administration Initiatives Announced at White House Tribal Nations Summit
Washington, D.C. - Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) today commended the Biden administration for several new initiatives that will help strengthen the federal government's relationship with tribal nations and advance equity for Indigenous Peoples in the United States. The new efforts were announced during the White House Tribal Nations Summit, which took place Monday and Tuesday of this week. The summit was the first formal convening of tribal leaders and agency officials hosted by the … Continue Reading
11.16.21
Grijalva Touts USGS Findings, Demonstration that Grand Canyon Withdrawal is Working, Calls for Permanent Withdrawal
Washington, D.C. - Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) today hailed the release of a U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) report on uranium impacts to groundwater in the Grand Canyon region. The report found generally low concentrations of uranium but did identify uranium hotspots near active and abandoned uranium mining sites. Sampling sites in the Horn Creek Area, downstream from the abandoned Orphan Lode Mine, showed uranium concentrations nearly 10 times the Environmental Protection Agency's … Continue Reading
11.16.21
Chair Grijalva Statement on Biden Administration’s Gulf of Mexico Oil and Gas Lease Sale
Washington, D.C. - Ahead of the Department of the Interior's (DOI) Gulf of Mexico oil and gas lease sale tomorrow-the first new fossil fuel lease sale in 2021-Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) today criticized the Biden administration's choice to hold the sale without first explaining in detail to the American people how it intends to reform and modernize the federal oil and gas program, which DOI itself has described as riddled with financial and environmental flaws. As DOI noted in Aug… Continue Reading
11.15.21
Grijalva, Huffman, Case Issue Joint Statement on Inspector General Audit of Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council
Washington, D.C. - Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.), Water Oceans and Wildlife Subcommittee Chair Jared Huffman (D-Calif.), Rep. Ed Case (D-Hawaii) and Rep. Gregorio Sablan (D-CNMI) issued the following joint statement regarding the recent audit of the Western Pacific Sustainable Fisheries Fund (WPSFF) conducted by the Department of Commerce Office of the Inspector General. The audit found that the Western Pacific Fisheries Management Council (WESPAC) and its sub-recipients claimed que… Continue Reading
11.15.21
Following Discussions at COP26, Grijalva Calls for Increased Federal Funding for Research on Public Health Impacts of Pollution
Washington, D.C. - Following his return from the recently concluded United Nations climate conference in Scotland, Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) today called for increased funding and administrative support for human health risk analyses and environmental impact assessments across federal agencies. Analysts at the Department of the Interior, Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement, U.S. Forest Service and other federal departments and agencies, he said, need more money, st… Continue Reading
11.15.21
Chair Grijalva Applauds Historic Actions by Biden Administration on Chaco Canyon, MMIW Crisis
Washington, D.C. - Today, Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz) applauded several new Biden administration initiatives to strengthen the federal government’s nation-to-nation relationship with Tribal governments. President Biden announced these initiatives at the start of the two-day White House Tribal Nations Summit, the first formal convening of tribes by the U.S. government since 2016. The initiatives announced included a 20-year moratorium on oil and gas leasing on … Continue Reading
11.08.21
Grijalva Expresses Disappointment That COP26 Lacks Sufficient Indigenous Representation, Intends to Discuss the Issue When He Arrives
Washington, D.C. - Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) issued the following statement this morning before departing for the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference, also known as COP26. "The United Nations are, in some ways, repeating the same tragic mistakes that created the climate crisis to begin with," Grijalva said. "Climate change is the direct result of industrialized nations exploiting our world's natural resources and violently stealing land from Indigenous and poor peoples. … Continue Reading
11.03.21
Chair Grijalva and Reps. Lowenthal, Porter, and Levin Call on Interior to Implement Offshore Drilling Reforms in Wake of Southern California Oil Spill
Washington, D.C. - Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.); Rep. Alan Lowenthal (D-Calif.), chair of the Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources; Rep. Katie Porter (D-Calif.), chair of the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations; and Mike Levin (D-Calif.) sent a letter today to Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland calling on the Department of the Interior (DOI) to strengthen offshore oil and gas regulations to protect coastal communities and taxpayers and reduce the likelihood of futu… Continue Reading
11.02.21
Chair Grijalva Applauds Newly Released GAO Report on the Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women Crisis
Washington, D.C. - Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) issued the following statement on the release of a Government Accountability Office (GAO) report he and other members of Congress requested on the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women (MMIW) crisis. The GAO report found that MMIW cases are often underreported due to mistrust of law enforcement, a lack of intergovernmental coordination, and a shortage of accurate data. The report recommends several ways law enforcement agencies at the D… Continue Reading
11.01.21
Chair Grijalva Hails Passage of Bills Supporting Indian Country, Celebrates Native American Heritage Month
Washington, D.C. - Chair Grijalva issued the following statement on the expected House passage of eight bills on the first day of Native American Heritage Month. "Native American Heritage Month is not just a celebration of the tradition, culture, history and national contributions of Native Americans. It's a time to appreciate the urgency of the issues facing Indian Country. Congress needs to take substantive action to protect sacred sites and tribal lands, address inadequate federal funding fo… Continue Reading
10.28.21
Chair Grijalva: Reconciliation Agreement Includes Multiple Key Measures - “Just the Start of a Longer Effort”
Washington, D.C. - Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) expressed his support for the revised reconciliation agreement released today, highlighting several key measures-including an end to new offshore fossil fuel drilling in most federal waters, funding for coastal restoration and resiliency, and enhanced funding for climate adaptation and wildfire management on public lands-that he and Democrats on the Committee successfully pushed throughout the negotiating process. The Committee on Sept. … Continue Reading
10.08.21
Chair Grijalva, 10 Other Members Send Letter to President Biden, DOJ Requesting Clemency for Indigenous Activist Leonard Peltier
Washington, D.C. - Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) today sent a letter with 10 other House lawmakers to President Biden and Attorney General Merrick Garland requesting the expedited release of and clemency for renowned American Indian Movement activist Leonard Peltier. The letter is available at https://bit.ly/3DsQ5KD. Mr. Peltier, a member of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians, was arrested in connection with the murders of two Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agents in… Continue Reading
10.07.21
Chair Grijalva Praises Biden Admin Move to Restore Original Boundaries, Protections for Bears Ears, Other National Monuments Trump Had Targeted
Washington, D.C. - Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) today praised the Biden administration's decision to restore Bears Ears, Grand Staircase-Escalante and Northeast Canyons and Seamounts National Monuments. The move comes on the eve of Indigenous Peoples' Day on Monday, Oct. 11. President Biden's action reverses the Trump administration's illegal reduction of the national monuments, which remain the subject of ongoing litigation. Grijalva previously led an amicus brief with then-Senator U… Continue Reading
10.06.21
Chair Grijalva Praises Biden Administration for Restoration of NEPA Community Protections after Trump-Era Deregulation
Washington, D.C. - Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) released the following statement on the Biden administration's "Phase 1" proposal to restore longstanding community protections under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). "The Biden administration's proposal to restore community protections under NEPA that the Trump administration rolled back is a welcome first step in placing public health needs and the lives of Americans ahead of the profits of corporate polluters. Today's mo… Continue Reading
10.05.21
Chair Grijalva Announces Bill Markup, Hearing on Federal Offshore Oil and Gas Infrastructure Following Environmental Disaster in Southern California
Washington, D.C. - Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) today announced that the House Natural Resources Committee will mark up a pair of bills to strengthen regulation and oversight of offshore oil drilling on Wednesday, Oct. 13, and hold an oversight hearing on Thursday, Oct. 14, on abandoned offshore fossil fuel infrastructure. The moves follow a major pipeline spill that has released more than 126,000 gallons of crude oil near Huntington Beach, Calif., causing what is already believed to … Continue Reading
09.29.21
Chair Grijalva Praises Department of the Interior for Restoring Protections for Migratory Birds After Trump-Era Weakening Efforts
Washington, D.C. - Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) today praised the Biden administration for its next steps to rewrite a Trump-era rule under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA) to protect birds and provide certainty to businesses. The Department of the Interior (DOI) announced that it would revoke a Trump rule that allows the incidental take of birds without consequence. The Department also announced it would start establishing a fairer system for enforcing incidental take provisions… Continue Reading
09.27.21
Chair Grijalva Highlights GAO Report He Requested Finding Room for Improvement in NOAA’s Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment Prevention Efforts
Washington, D.C. - Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) today highlighted new findings by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) emphasizing the need for stronger sexual assault and harassment prevention efforts at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The findings come in a report titled Sexual Assault and Harassment: NOAA Has Made Substantial Progress in Prevention and Response but Could Further Improve Its Processes that Chair Grijalva requested with Sen. John Thu… Continue Reading