Press Releases
Currently showing results related to Water, Wildlife and Fisheries
Chair Grijalva, Rep. McEachin Release Discussion Draft of Environmental Justice Bill, Marking New Public Input Phase of Historic Collaborative Effort
Washington, D.C. - Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) and Rep. A. Donald McEachin (D-Va.) today unveiled a discussion draft of their environmental justice bill, which has been prepared through a collaborative effort with environmental justice advocates and grassroots groups across the country. Release of the draft at a press conference today on Capitol Hill marks the opening of a new public participation phase of the process, and anyone interested in reviewing and commenting on the draft sh… Continue Reading
11.06.19
Chair Grijalva Leads Letter Highlighting Irregularities of Protected Shark Exports, Expresses Concern About Overfishing
Washington D.C. - Today, Natural Resources Chair Raúl M. Grijalva sent a letter to the National Marine Fisheries Service at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) expressing concern that shark species protected by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) are being exported from the United States in violation of the law and at risk of the species. The letter was cosigned by Rep. … Continue Reading
10.22.19
Chair Grijalva, Rep. Huffman Slam Trump Admin Favor to Secretary Bernhardt’s Former Client that Risks Extinction For Salmon
Washington, D.C. - Today, House Natural Resources Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) and Chair of the Natural Resources Subcommittee on Water, Oceans, and Wildlife Jared Huffman (D-Calif.) released the following statements regarding the Trump administration's proposal to increase water deliveries through the federal Central Valley Project (CVP) by weakening longstanding protections for endangered species in the ecologically fragile San Francisco Bay Delta. Even by the low standards of … Continue Reading
10.16.19
TOMORROW: Wildlife, Religious Leaders Coming to Capitol Hill for Multi-Faith Blessing of the Animals Ceremony
Washington D.C. - Tomorrow, Oct. 17, the House Natural Resources Committee will host a "Blessing of the Animals" ceremony on Capitol Hill in partnership with the National Religious Partnership for the Environment. Religious leaders from multiple faiths will provide a blessing for all creatures and reflect on the importance of saving endangered species and the role of the Endangered Species Act. The Blessing of the Animals is a religious event customarily held on the Feast of St. Francis and i… Continue Reading
09.25.19
Natural Resources Committee Advances 10 Bills, Including Ocean Climate Change Legislation
Washington D.C. - On the same day that the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released its Special Report on the Ocean and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate (SROCC), Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) led a markup on ocean-related climate change legislation. Among the 10 bills approved today, the Committee advanced legislation to conserve wetlands, to promote fish conservation, to provide grants to Indian Tribes for tribal coastal zones, to expand flood prevention, to support c… Continue Reading
09.20.19
NEXT WEEK: Full Committee Markup, Full Committee Joint Hearing, Several Legislative and Oversight Hearings
Washington, D.C. - The Committee on Natural Resources is hosting five hearings next week, including a joint hearing between the Committee on Natural Resources and the Committee on Foreign Affairs on Sustaining U.S. Pacific Insular Relationships. Energy and Mineral Resources Legislative Hearing: Fossil Fuel Development: Protecting Taxpayers and Eliminating Industry Giveaways When: Tuesday, Sept. 24, at 10:00 a.m. Eastern time Where: 1324 Longworth House Office Building Bills Considered … Continue Reading
09.19.19
Natural Resources Committee Approves 16 Bills, Including Key Legislation to Protect Wildlife, Improve Ocean Mapping, Better Manage Fisheries
Washington, D.C. - The House Natural Resources Committee approved 16 bills at a two-hour markup yesterday. Among other measures, the Committee advanced Chair Raúl M. Grijalva's (D-Ariz.) CECIL Act, which would strengthen the standards under which sport hunted trophies of endangered and threatened species could be imported, and Rep. Gregorio Sablan's (D-CNMI) bill to prohibit the sale of shark fins. Bill texts and amendments in the nature of a substitute can also be found by visiting the … Continue Reading
09.17.19
Chair Grijalva, Senator Udall Introduce Bill to Protect Endangered Species, Reverse Trump’s Changes That Will Add to Extinction Crisis
Washington D.C. - Natural Resources Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) and Sen. Tom Udall (D-N.M.), lead Democrat on the Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior, Environment and Related Agencies, introduced legislation today to repeal all three Trump administration final rule changes to the Endangered Species Act, which taken together will fundamentally change the way we protect threatened and endangered species. Under Trump's rules, the administration can ignore long-term threats to wildl… Continue Reading
09.12.19
Chair Grijalva Hails Historic Passage of This Week’s Bills to Protect Coasts, Arctic Refuge From Drilling – “We Need a Better Way of Doing Things”
Washington, D.C. - Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) today hailed the House passage of three bills to protect the Atlantic, Pacific, and Eastern Gulf of Mexico coastlines from offshore drilling and to block the Republican push for drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. The House just passed Rep. Jared Huffman's (D-Calif.) Arctic Cultural and Coastal Plain Protection Act, and yesterday approved Rep. Joe Cunningham's (D-S.C.) Coastal and Marine Economies Protection Act and Rep. Fra… Continue Reading
09.10.19
Chair Grijalva, Rep. Huffman Request Documents From Commerce Sec. Wilbur Ross on “Sharpiegate” Political Interference, Threats Against NOAA Staff
Washington, D.C. - Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) and Rep. Jared Huffman (D-Calif.), chair of the Subcommittee on Water, Oceans, and Wildlife, wrote to Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross today requesting a series of documents on his reported threats against long-time National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) officials in connection with President Trump's inaccurate, widely debunked claim that Hurricane Dorian would put Alabama at risk of storm damage. The Natural Resources Comm… Continue Reading
08.12.19
Chair Grijalva: President Trump’s Assault on Endangered Species Will Add to Extinction Crisis as a Favor to Industry
Washington D.C. - Today, the U.S. Department of Interior's U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) and the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) released the final changes to three proposed rules of the Endangered Species Act (ESA). These changes undermine the intention of ESA and put thousands of species at risk of extinction at a time when scientists aresounding the alarms that we are losing species at unprecedented rates. Following the release Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) releas… Continue Reading
07.01.19
Chair Grijalva, Ranking Member Bishop Seek Documents as Investigation of Alleged Human Rights Abuses by Wildlife Advocacy Groups Intensifies
Washington D.C. - Today, Natural Resources Committee Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) and Ranking Member Rob Bishop (R-Utah) sent a letter to Carter Roberts, the President and CEO of the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), requesting documents on WWF's procedures, role in, and knowledge of alleged human rights abuses revealed by Buzzfeed News in March. The letter can be viewed at http://bit.ly/2KO8473. The letter summarizes the concerns: "Despite the importance of protecting wildlife and preven… Continue Reading
06.28.19
Chair Grijalva, Rep. McEachin Launch Historic Effort to Draft Environmental Justice Bill Based on Public Feedback at Environmental Justice Convening
Washington D.C. - Chair Raúl Grijalva (D-Ariz.) and Rep. A. Donald McEachin (D-Va.) hosted a historic all-day environmental justice convening in the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday, featuring an interactive tool allowing advocates from around the country to weigh in on the principles underlying a forthcoming bill to protect their communities' legal rights. The unprecedented event brought national policymakers, environmental leaders and local advocates together to begin a dialogue on the future … Continue Reading
06.21.19
Chair Grijalva, Rep. McEachin to Host Historic Environmental Justice Summit at U.S. Capitol With Hundreds of Participants From Across the Country
Washington D.C. - On Wednesday, June 26, Natural Resources Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) and Rep. A. Donald McEachin (D-Va.) are hosting an environmental justice summit at the U.S. Capitol Visitor Center Auditorium. This all-day event will convene policymakers, environmental leaders and practitioners to educate Congressional staff on the history and context of the environmental justice (EJ) movement, discuss current challenges and policy priorities for EJ practitioners and frontline co… Continue Reading
06.21.19
Chair Grijalva: New Draft NEPA Guidance on Greenhouse Gases Ignores Climate Risks, Shows Trump Admin Doesn’t Care How Many Disasters We Face
Washington, D.C. - Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) released the following statement on the new Council on Environmental Quality draft guidance on consideration of greenhouse gas emissions under the National Environmental Policy Act. "This administration has shown once again that it doesn't take the threat of climate change seriously. Today's draft guidance seeks to limit the federal government's role in assessing whether proposed projects and activities contribute to climate change. Luc… Continue Reading
05.22.19
Chair Grijalva Cheers Environmental Funding Bills as House Appropriators Provide Strong Conservation Support, Oversight of Trump Admin Efforts
Washington D.C. - Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) today thanked the House Appropriations Committee for increasing environmental funding in a pair of fiscal year 2020 appropriations bills, which now head to the House floor. The Committee's just-approved bills - one for Interior, Environment and Related Agencies and the other for Commerce, Justice and Science - provide crucial funding support for Department of the Interior and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration conservation an… Continue Reading
05.22.19
Chair Grijalva Introduces Bill to Protect Threatened Species as Committee Holds Hearing This Morning to Raise the Alarm on 1 Million Species at Risk of Extinction
Washington, D.C. - In celebration of International Biodiversity Day, Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) introduced a bill this morning to protect species that face extreme risk of extinction. The Extinction Prevention Act of 2019 provides much-needed funding for some of the most imperiled wildlife species in the United States. "It's unthinkable for Congress to hear of a million species being at risk of extinction without acting," Grijalva said today. "Many of the most serious risks come fr… Continue Reading
05.16.19
Chair Grijalva: Secretary Bernhardt “Not Losing Sleep” Over Climate Change Concerns Me – and So Does His Lack of Transparency With Congress
Washington, D.C. - Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) today said he is seriously concerned about the direction of the Department of the Interior (DOI) following Interior Secretary David Bernhardt's testimony yesterday, his first before the Committee since taking the top post. Bernhardt revealed his total lack of concern about climate change during his appearance, telling the Committee he has "not lost any sleep" over the issue despite recent news that atmospheric carbon dioxide levels are t… Continue Reading
05.03.19
In Letter to Key Senators, Chair Grijalva Flags Ethical Concerns With Trump Nomination to Head NOAA – Calls for Committee Hearing Prior to Senate Vote
Washington, D.C. - Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) yesterday sent a letter to Sens. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) and Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), the chairman and ranking member respectively of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, urging them to hold a hearing on President Trump's nomination of Barry Myers to head the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration before the full Senate holds a vote. Among other issues, Grijalva flags Myers' financial conflicts of inter… Continue Reading
05.01.19
First Markup of 116th Congress Showcases Dem Priorities: Ending Arctic Refuge Drilling, Supporting Tribes, Reclaiming Abandoned Mine Lands
Washington, D.C. - The first House Natural Resources Committee markup of the 116th Congress, which concluded moments ago, showcased a wide range of Democratic priorities and sometimes offered a stark contrast with Committee Republicans' environmental thinking. Among other bills, the Committee passed Rep. Jared Huffman's (D-Calif.) bipartisan proposal to cancel the oil and gas program in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, which was opened thanks to an amendment by Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska)… Continue Reading