Press Releases
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. 9 appro… 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
09.22.21
Chair Grijalva, Reps. Huffman and DeGette Lead 60 Members in Urging President Biden Support Repeal of Arctic Refuge Drilling Program in Build Back Better Act
Washington, D.C. - Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) and Reps. Jared Huffman (D-Calif.) and Diana DeGette (D-Colo.) sent a letter today signed by 60 House Democrats to President Biden urging him to support the repeal of the oil and gas leasing program for the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and a buyback of the leases issued in January 2021. The provision was recently passed through the House Natural Resources Committee in its portion of the larger Build Back Better Act. In December of 20… Continue Reading
09.20.21
Chair Grijalva Hails Sec. Haaland Decision to Move Bureau of Land Management Headquarters Back to Washington in Response to Concerns From Staff, Federal Auditors
Washington, D.C. - Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) today issued the following statement on the Department of the Interior's decision to move the Bureau of Land Management's headquarters back to Washington, D.C. "Bringing the Bureau of Land Management's leadership back to Washington shows the Biden's administration's commitment to protecting our public lands and the men and women responsible for them. Taking the headquarters out of the nation's capital was a debacle from the moment it wa… Continue Reading
09.15.21
Chair Grijalva, Sen. Markey and Reps. McCollum, McEachin, Leger Fernández, and Lowenthal Urge Sec. of Energy to Reconsider Domestic Uranium Reserve
Washington, D.C. - Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) and Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) sent a letter with Reps. Betty McCollum (D-Minn.), A. Donald McEachin (D-Va.), Teresa Leger Fernández (D-N.M.) and Alan Lowenthal (D-Calif.) today to Department of Energy (DOE) Secretary Jennifer Granholm expressing concerns about the potential for a new domestic uranium reserve to harm tribal communities still suffering from previous domestic uranium mining efforts. The letter, available online at htt… Continue Reading
09.13.21
Chair Grijalva Introduces the Urban Indian Health Confer Act to Create Parity for American Indians and Alaska Natives Living in Urban Areas
Washington, D.C. - House Natural Resources Committee Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) on Friday introduced the bipartisan Urban Indian Health Confer Act to require the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to confer with urban Indian organizations (UIOs) on health care policies and initiatives for American Indians and Alaska Natives living in urban areas. Currently, only the Indian Health Service (IHS) is required to confer with UIOs despite the fact that the vast majority of… Continue Reading
09.09.21
Committee Approves $25.6 Billion Reconciliation Measure to Fund Climate Corps, Coastal Protection, Wildfire Management, Tribal & Territorial Needs
Washington, D.C. - The House Natural Resources Committee, led by Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.), today approved its piece of the 10-year budget reconciliation package now before the House of Representatives. The markup, which began on Sept. 2, saw a second full day of debate and concluded in a 24-13 vote to approve the measure. All relevant documents are publicly available online through the Committee Repository. Among other measures, the Committee approved historic investments in prot… Continue Reading