Press Releases
Chair Grijalva Praises Department of Education for Releasing $4 Billion in Education for Puerto Rico After Pressuring Previous Administration for Months
Washington, D.C. - Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) today praised the Department of Education for releasing nearly $4 billion in funds for Puerto Rico's schools, a move announced as part of Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona's visit to the island this week. The announcement comes after Grijalva and Chairman Bobby Scott (D-Va.) of the House Committee on Education and Labor sent a letter on July 16, 2020, to former Secretary Betsy DeVos demanding an explanation for why the Department had… Continue Reading
06.25.21
Chair Grijalva, Rep. DeGette: Tightening Methane Emissions Through the EPA Makes Sense, and It’s Time to Do the Same for Our Public Lands
Washington, D.C. - Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) and Rep. Diana DeGette (D-Colo.) said today that the House of Representatives is right to tighten Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) emission standards for methane, as it is expected to do with the forthcoming Congressional Review Act vote, and that Congress should similarly tighten the Bureau of Land Management's (BLM) methane standard for fossil fuel drillers on public lands. BLM is charged with guaranteeing public value in the use… Continue Reading
06.16.21
In New Letter, Chair Grijalva and Congressional Dems Support Biden Conservation Efforts, Urge Stronger “America The Beautiful” to Fight Climate Change
Washington, D.C. - Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) led a letter with 17 House Democratic colleagues today to President Joe Biden in support of the administration's climate-focused America the Beautiful Initiative and to offer suggestions to strengthen the program. The full letter is available online at https://bit.ly/3gu6HJ6. The lawmakers offer full support for the new direction laid out in the administration's America the Beautiful initiative to fight the climate crisis by restorin… Continue Reading
06.15.21
Chair Grijalva: Ruling That Biden Admin Must Hold New Oil and Gas Lease Sales is Wrong – We Need to Update Laws to Prevent Further Misinterpretation
Washington, D.C. - Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) said today that the new ruling from Judge Terry Doughty of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana blocking the Department of the Interior from pausing oil and gas leasing on federal lands and waters is simultaneously wrong on the legal merits and a sign of why federal leasing laws need to be updated to remove any possibility of future misinterpretations. "Republicans tempted to crow about today's ruling should exp… Continue Reading
06.14.21
Chair Grijalva Releases DOJ Analysis of Puerto Rico Political Status Bills, Witness List for This Wednesday’s Full Committee Legislative Hearing
This release has been updated from the original version to correct witness positions on bills under discussion. Washington, D.C. - Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) this morning released a long-awaited Department of Justice (DOJ) analysis of the constitutionality and feasibility of two political status bills for Puerto Rico. Grijalva also released the witness list for this Wednesday's legislative hearing on both bills. One bill, the Puerto Rico Self-Determination Act (H.R. 2070) sponsore… Continue Reading
06.09.21
Grijalva Welcomes News of Keystone Pipeline Termination, Thanks Native American and Environmental Activists Who Fought Dangerous Pipeline for Years
Washington, D.C. - Natural Resources Committee Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) released the following statement following the news that TC Energy, the Canadian company behind the Keystone XL Pipeline, will terminate the project. "The rushed approval of the Keystone Pipeline by the previous administration was a terrible idea," Chair Grijalva said. "I'm grateful for the tireless efforts of Native American communities, environmental justice groups and advocates that fought this dangerous… Continue Reading
06.09.21
Chair Grijalva, Senator Wyden: Interior Department Inspector General’s Review of Lafayette Square Crackdown Lacks Clarity, Leaves Unanswered Questions
Washington, D.C. – House Committee on Natural Resources Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) and Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) today said the new Department of the Interior inspector general report on the violent crackdown against peaceful protesters in Lafayette Square on June 1, 2020, lacks clear explanations for the key issues surrounding the event, including how and why law enforcement officers were authorized to use violent tactics, and leaves unanswered questions that will have to b… Continue Reading
06.09.21
Chair Grijalva Announces June 16 Hearing on Puerto Rico Political Status Bills – Hearing Follows April 14 Panel Assessing Two Bills to Resolve the Issue
Washington, D.C. - Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) today announced a June 16 hearing on legislation focused on Puerto Rico's political status. The hearing follows the April 14 panel the full Committee held to examine two bills to resolve the issue. The hearing will more deeply examine the implications of passing each of the bills. One, sponsored by Reps. Nydia Velázquez (D-N.Y.) and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), would "recognize the right of the People of Puerto Rico to call… Continue Reading
06.08.21
Chair Grijalva Introduces Ocean-Based Climate Solutions Act – New Version Creates Virgin Plastic Fee, Includes More Than 1,600 Stakeholder Comments
This release has been updated from its original version to include a statement of support from Oceana. Washington, D.C. - In honor of World Oceans Day, Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) today introduced the Ocean-Based Climate Solutions Act, an updated version of a bill he initially offered in the previous Congress to modernize federal ocean management policy to account for climate change. The bill limits climate impacts on marine habitats, promotes carbon sinks in federal waters, advances Arcti… Continue Reading
06.07.21
Chair Grijalva: We Need a Permanent Fix for U.S. Territories’ Access to Federal Benefits, and I’m Going to Work With Colleagues to Pass One
Washington, D.C. - Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) released the following statement today on the need for a legislative solution to the unequal access to federal benefits for U.S. citizens and U.S. nationals living in the insular territories. "Given the administration's announcement today that it will appeal U.S. v. Vaello Madero to the Supreme Court, the Natural Resources Committee will redouble its efforts to work with other committees of jurisdiction to expand access to Supplemental … Continue Reading
06.04.21
Chair Grijalva Hails Biden Admin Moves to Restore Endangered Species Act Rules, Urges Further Action on Biodiversity Protection Based on Climate Threats
Washington, D.C. - Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) today hailed the Biden administration's announcement that it will correct and update five regulations pertaining to the Endangered Species Act (ESA) weakened during the Trump era to help polluters. Grijalva urged the administration to continue updating federal standards for protecting biodiversity with the full knowledge that climate change is advancing and time for meaningful action is short. The administration announced today that the… Continue Reading
06.01.21
Chair Grijalva Praises Biden Admin’s Suspension of Unjustified, Potentially Illegal Oil and Gas Leases in Arctic Refuge – “The Push to Drill Became a Scam”
Washington, D.C. - Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) today praised the Biden administration's decision to suspend the oil and gas leases issued in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (Refuge), which was opened to drilling by the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017. The news was first reported by Politico this afternoon. The Trump administration sold and issued the leases on a needlessly rapid schedule, without adequate review of public input or environmental impacts, and those leases are now be… Continue Reading
05.28.21
Chair Grijalva Introduces RESPECT Act to Establish and Require Government-to-Government Consultation Between Federal Agencies, Tribal Leaders
Washington, D.C. - Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) today introduced the Requirements, Expectations, and Standard Procedures for Effective Consultation with Tribes (RESPECT) Act, which codifies for the first time a requirement that federal agencies consult with tribal governments before taking or permitting actions that would significantly impact them. The bill is endorsed by numerous tribal leadership organizations and comes as Congress considers a range of environmental, economic and p… Continue Reading
05.27.21
Chair Grijalva Questions Biden Admin Backing for Major Alaska Oil Drilling Project – Calls for Careful Review, Genuine Public Input Process
Washington D.C. - Natural Resources Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) released the following statement on the Biden administration's decision to defend in court ConocoPhillips' Willow Master Development Plan in the National Petroleum Reserve - Alaska. "The Biden administration's decision to back ConocoPhillips' massive oil and gas project in Alaska needs to be coupled with a careful review of the environmental impacts this project will have on Native American communities and on air, wate… Continue Reading
05.26.21
Chair Grijalva Leads Letter to Senate Urging Prompt Approval of House-Passed Bill to Protect U.S. Wilderness and Public Lands, Lessen Climate Impacts
Washington D.C. - Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) today led a letter with 19 House Democratic colleagues to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) urging them to advance the House-approved Protecting America's Wilderness and Public Lands Act to President Biden's desk for his signature. The bill, which passed the House on Feb. 26 with bipartisan support, protects millions of acres of land across the country from development and supports t… Continue Reading
05.25.21
Nat. Resources Committee Releases Explainer, Firsthand Constituent Stories on Harmful Effects of Insular Cases Rulings & Territorial Incorporation Doctrine
Washington, D.C. - Ahead of an expected landmark Supreme Court ruling this fall, the Natural Resources Committee today published an overview of the legal and economic damage done to generations of American citizens and American nationals living in the U.S. territories by the legal legacy of the Insular Cases rulings and broad legal reliance on the so-called territorial incorporation doctrine. The overview, available online at https://bit.ly/3wqYQBc, includes firsthand stories from Natural Resour… Continue Reading
05.20.21
Chair Grijalva, Sen. Blumenthal Introduce Extinction Prevention Act of 2021 to Fund Protection of Highly Imperiled, Less “Charismatic” Species
Washington, D.C. - In honor of Endangered Species Day on May 21, Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) and Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) today introduced their respective versions of the Extinction Prevention Act of 2021, which provides much-needed funding for some of the most imperiled wildlife species in the United States. Targeted species include threatened and endangered North American butterflies, various Pacific Island plants, freshwater mussels, and Southwest desert fish. A fact sh… Continue Reading
05.13.21
Chair Grijalva: Secs. Haaland and Vilsack Right to Respond to Wildfire Crisis, Recognize Climate-Related Opportunities in American Jobs Plan
Washington, D.C. - Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) today praised the announcement by Interior Secretary Deb Haaland and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack of a new wildfire preparedness and climate resiliency plan for public lands. Grijalva said the issue presents a clear imperative to hire people to manage land and fight wildfires on a more consistent, climate-conscious basis, and the Biden administration is right to put climate planning at the center of more aspects of federal policy. … Continue Reading
05.06.21
Chair Grijalva: ‘America the Beautiful’ Shows Commitment to Conservation and Economic Strength, Contrasts With Trump’s Drill-Everywhere Obsession
Washington, D.C. - Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz) today said the newly announced "America the Beautiful" campaign provides a stark contrast between the Biden administration's commitment to conservation and sustainable job creation on the one hand and the Trump administration's destructive drill-everywhere obsession on the other. The new policy approach, Grijalva said, will combine with the American Jobs Plan to build a more sustainable economy and preserve valuable landscapes and seascap… Continue Reading
05.05.21
Chair Grijalva: After Today’s Markup, The Democratic Path Forward on Conservation is Clear – Environmental Justice and Taxpayer Fairness are Key
Washington, D.C. - Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) said after the conclusion of today's markup - which finished a process that began on April 28 - that the Democratic legislative strategy on national conservation policy is now clearly focused on environmental justice, taxpayer fairness and climate protection. The Committee advanced a series of bills that increase taxpayer return for the private use of public resources, protect marginalized communities from exploitation, and reduce wastef… Continue Reading