Press Releases
Ahead Of The Upcoming Hurricane Season In The Caribbean, Chair Grijalva Joins Sen. Schumer, Rep. Velázquez and Democratic Lawmakers In Seeking Answers on How FEMA Is Preparing To Respond To Storms That Hit Puerto Rico And The U.S. Virgin Islands
Washington, D.C. – House Natural Resources Chair Raúl M. Grijalva joined United States Senate Democratic Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Rep. Nydia M. Velázquez (D-N.Y.), in sending a letter with 39 Members of Congress to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) ahead of the upcoming hurricane season in the Caribbean, seeking answers to how FEMA is preparing to respond to a storm that hits Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands amidst the numerous other ongoing disa… Continue Reading
05.27.20
Chair Grijalva Joins NM, AZ Lawmakers In Demanding Answers to Reports that Former Trump White House Official Supplied Indian Health Service with Potentially Substandard Personal Protective Equipment
Washington D.C. —Today, House Natural Resources Committee Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) joined U.S. Senators Tom Udall (D-N.M.), vice chairman of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) and Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.) and U.S. Representatives Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), Deb Haaland (D-N.M.), Xochitl Torres Small (D-N.M.), Tom O’Halleran (D-Ariz.), and Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) in sending a bicameral letter to the Director of the Indian Health Service (IHS) Rear Admiral Michael… Continue Reading
05.27.20
Chair Grijalva Spotlights Trump Administration’s “Beyond the Pale” Economic Favoritism for Fossil Fuel Companies Over Proposed Royalty Payment Delays
Tucson, Ariz. - Chair Raúl M. Grijalva today wrote to White House Office of Management and Budget Acting Director Russell Vought urging him to reject the Department of the Interior (DOI) Office of Natural Resources Revenue (ONRR) proposed rule allowing oil and gas companies to delay paying royalties for drilling on public lands. The letter is available online at https://bit.ly/3db1jGW. The Trump administration proposal, which has not yet been finalized, would hurt multiple states whose b… Continue Reading
05.22.20
Chair Grijalva Criticizes Trump Admin for Botched Coronavirus Response in Indian Country, Calls for Immediate Release of Tribal Education Funding Passed in CARES Act
Washington, D.C. - Today Natural Resources Committee Chair Raúl M. Grijalva released the following statement calling on the Department of Education and the Department of the Interior to release the education funding for the Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) that was included in H.R. 748, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act and signed into law on March 27, 2020. "Every day, children and families in Indian Country are suffering at the hands of the Trump administr… Continue Reading
05.22.20
Chair Grijalva Leads Introduction of “Amendments to PROMESA Act” to Stabilize Puerto Rican Economy, Stop Austerity Cuts, Guarantee Services Funding
This press release has been updated from the original published version to include additional endorsing organizations and to correct a name. Washington, D.C. - Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) today introduced the Amendments to PROMESA Act, which prioritizes funding for public health care, education, safety, pensions and the University of Puerto Rico, creates a publicly funded commission to audit Puerto Rico's debt, and gives the Puerto Rican government the option to discharge unsecured … Continue Reading
05.20.20
Chair Grijalva Leads Bicameral Amicus Brief Urging District Court to Halt Dakota Access Pipeline Operation Until Tribal, Environmental Impacts Assessed
Washington, D.C. - Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) today led the filing of an amicus brief with 36 House and Senate colleagues in the Federal District Court for the District of Columbia urging the court to halt operation of the nearly 1,200-mile Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL). As detailed in the amicus, available online at https://bit.ly/3bPBDhB, the lawmakers believe the pipeline must not be allowed to continue operations until the government analyzes the potentially disastrous effects o… Continue Reading
05.19.20
HIGHLIGHTS: Chair Grijalva and Local Leaders on Communities Protecting Public Health, the Environment from Trump in the Pandemic Era
Washington D.C. - On Wednesday, May 13, Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) hosted a virtual roundtable with community leaders around the country who are fighting against polluting industries and the Trump administration’s environmental rollbacks during the coronavirus pandemic. As Grijalva said in opening the event, “Today’s panelists are living proof that we are not powerless at all." The full recording is available at https://bit.ly/2YUIBz0. Key highlights and takeaways from the conversation … Continue Reading
05.19.20
Chair Grijalva, Bipartisan Lawmakers Urge Trump Administration to Prioritize Distribution of Coronavirus Resources to U.S. Territories
Washington, D.C. - Natural Resources Chair Raúl M. Grijalva and 12 bipartisan members of Congress sent a letter to Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Alex Azar yesterday urging him to consider the vulnerable economic and public health infrastructure in the U.S. Territories when determining criteria for prioritizing the distribution of coronavirus resources. The full letter, available online at https://bit.ly/3cGJsat, was signed by Committee Vice Chair Gregorio Kilili Camacho Sabla… Continue Reading
05.13.20
Chair Grijalva: I’m Proud to Push for More Tribal Funding Through the Heroes Act – Trump’s Negligence Has Put Lives at Risk, Tribal Assistance is Overdue
Tucson, Ariz. - Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) today said he's pleased the Heroes Act, the newly unveiled House Democratic plan to improve public health and support the American people through the coronavirus pandemic, includes $24 billion in funding for tribal governments and tribal organizations. Grijalva is an original cosponsor of the measure and has committed to voting for it later this week. The money, Grijalva said, is long overdue in Indian Country and for urban Native communit… Continue Reading
05.12.20
Chair Grijalva Joins Sanders, Velázquez, Colleagues in Unveiling Legislation to Provide Nutrition Assistance to Puerto Rico, Northern Mariana Islands and American Samoa
Washington D.C. - Today, Natural Resources Committee Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) joined Sen. Bernie Sanders (D-Vt.) and Rep. Nydia M. Velázquez (D-N.Y.) introduced the Equitable Nutrition Assistance for the Territories Act of 2020 today to ensure that in the face of the economic, public-health, and food-security crises posed by the coronavirus pandemic, the people of Puerto Rico, the Northern Mariana Islands, and American Samoa receive equal access to the Supplemental Nutritio… Continue Reading
05.08.20
Chair Grijalva Introduces Murder Hornet Eradication Act – Directs Funding to States for Eradication Programs, Impacted Bee Colony Restoration
Washington, D.C. - Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) today introduced the Murder Hornet Eradication Act, which directs new funding to states to eradicate the Asian giant hornet and restore bee populations the invasive species has already damaged. Formally, the bill requires the Secretary of the Interior to establish a grant program to provide financial assistance to states to eradicate the hornet. The bill, available online at https://bit.ly/35OmpYD, is modeled on the Nutria Eradication a… Continue Reading
05.01.20
Chair Grijalva, Subcommittee Chairs Request DOI Inspector General Investigate Alaska Native Corporation Eligibility for Tribal Relief Funding
Washington, D.C. - Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) and all five subcommittee chairs wrote to Department of the Interior (DOI) Inspector General Mark Greenblatt today requesting an investigation of DOI Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs Tara Sweeney. Recent news reports describe Sweeney as heavily involved in the decision to declare Alaska Native Corporations (ANCs) eligible for an $8 billion relief fund created by the CARES Act intended solely for Native American tribes. The full le… Continue Reading
05.01.20
Chair Grijalva to Trump, Sec. Bernhardt: May 3 Campaign-Style Event at Lincoln Memorial is Inappropriate, Needs to be Canceled
Note: The original version of this press release incorrectly stated the president's event was scheduled for May 15. It is scheduled for May 3. The correction has been made to the online version of this release. Washington, D.C. - Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) wrote to President Trump and Interior Secretary David Bernhardt today urging them to cancel the president's inappropriate campaign-style rally scheduled for May 3 at the Lincoln Memorial, which is supposedly closed for events thr… Continue Reading
04.30.20
Grijalva, Haaland Sharply Question Sec. Bernhardt, BLM Director Pendley’s Choice to Drill Sacred Sites During Coronavirus Pandemic
Washington, D.C. - Natural Resources Committee Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) and Vice Chair Deb Haaland (D-N.M) today strongly criticized the Department of the Interior's (DOI) efforts to open sacred tribal lands in New Mexico to new oil and gas extraction during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) announced last night via press release that it would not extend the public comment period for updates to the Farmington Mancos-Gallup Resource Management P… Continue Reading
04.30.20
Chair Grijalva Leads Letter to Treasury Department Pressing for Immediate Disbursement of Improperly Delayed COVID-19 Stimulus Checks in Puerto Rico
Washington, D.C. - Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) today led a bicameral letter with 15 other Democratic lawmakers pressing the Department of the Treasury and the Internal Revenue Service to disburse overdue funds to Puerto Ricans suffering from the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. The lawmakers point out that Puerto Rican officials sent Treasury and the IRS a draft plan for the disbursement of stimulus checks to residents on April 8, but federal officials have yet to approve i… Continue Reading
04.29.20
Chairs Grijalva, Velázquez: PPP Loan Distribution Must be Equitable for Small Businesses in U.S. Territories
Washington, D.C. - Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) and Small Business Committee Chairwoman Nydia M. Velázquez (D-N.Y.) today sent a letter to the Department of the Treasury and Small Business Administration (SBA) on disparities in the allocation of Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans in U.S. territories. New data shows that aid is not being allocated proportionately to U.S. territories. For example, Puerto Rico, which accounts for approximately 1 percent of the population of… Continue Reading
04.23.20
Chair Grijalva on Nuclear Fuel Working Group Report: Trump Admin Wants Uranium Mining Near Grand Canyon With No Public Scrutiny
Washington, D.C. - Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) released the following statement on today's report by the Nuclear Fuels Working Group recommending radical deregulation of the uranium mining industry. "The Trump administration wants uranium mining near the Grand Canyon without even minimal public oversight, and it doesn't care about the consequences. Today's report is a roadmap for giving the uranium mining industry everything it wants without any scrutiny. If these recommendations ar… Continue Reading
04.22.20
New GAO Report Shows Oil and Gas Industry Sitting on Almost 10,000 Unused Drilling Permits, Undermining Push for New Favors From Trump
Washington, D.C. - A new Government Accountability Office (GAO) report requested by Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) and Rep. Alan Lowenthal (D-Calif.) finds that oil and gas companies were sitting on 9,950 unused permits to drill as of the end of fiscal year 2019. The report finds that the Trump administration's "energy dominance" push to grant the industry more permits - even those that drilling corporations have no intention of using in the near future - has paralyzed the Bureau of Lan… Continue Reading
04.21.20
Grijalva, McEachin Letter Urges HHS to Address Disparities in Coronavirus Outcomes for Environmental Justice Communities
Washington, D.C. - Today, Natural Resources Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) and Rep. A. Donald McEachin (D-Va.) sent a letter to U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar urging the Department and its sub-agenices to address racial health disparities in COVID-19 outcomes for environmental justice communities, and to collect comprehensive demographic data on the race and ethnicity of individuals tested and treated for the coronavirus. The letter follows emerging r… Continue Reading
04.20.20
On 10-Year Anniversary of BP Oil Spill, Chair Grijalva Issues Report Highlighting Costs of Trump Admin Deregulation, Potentially Unethical Behavior
Washington, D.C. - Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) today released a report looking at the Trump administration's regulatory failures and rollbacks in light of the 10-year anniversary of the BP oil spill disaster in the Gulf of Mexico. Among other findings, the report - available at https://bit.ly/3eCQD4U - highlights the financial, environmental, and worker safety standards the Trump administration has weakened on behalf of offshore oil drillers, despite expert advice, and reveals potent… Continue Reading