Press Releases
Chair Grijalva Denounces Racist, Pro-Trump Attack on Oklahoma Native Americans, Calls for GOP Leadership Pushback & Policy Response
Washington, D.C. - Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) said today that yesterday's racist, pro-Trump attacks on the Chickasaw Nation and the Oklahoma Democratic Party headquarters need to result in a substantive policy response and comprehensive pushback from Republican Party leadership. Grijalva thanked Oklahoma Republican Reps. Tom Cole and Markwayne Mullin for their joint statement Thursday evening condemning the attacks, which included racist graffiti and threats of violence. The messag… Continue Reading
03.28.19
Democratic Chairmen Request Interviews to Investigate Acting Interior Secretary’s Calendar Omissions and Compliance with FOIA
Washington, D.C. (Mar. 28, 2019)- Today, Rep. Raúl M. Grijalva, the Chairman of the Committee on Natural Resources, and Rep. Elijah E. Cummings, the Chairman of the Committee on Oversight and Reform sent a letter to Department of the Interior (DOI) Acting Secretary David Bernhardt requesting that he make four top Department officials available for transcribed interviews. "Recent testimony from a senior official at DOI, as well as recent press reports, raise questions about whether you … Continue Reading
03.28.19
Seven States Testify in Support of Colorado River Drought Plan as Chair Grijalva Announces Authorizing Bill Introduction Next Week
Washington D.C. - Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) announced at today's hearing on the Colorado River Drought Contingency Planthat he will introduce legislation - expected early next week - to enact the Drought Contingency Plan into law and expedite its passage through the Committee. The plan will safeguard the water supply for the American Southwest and the 40 million people who live there through 2026. The announcement came as representatives from the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation and from… Continue Reading
03.27.19
Democrats Call Out Trump Budget Cuts to Critical Climate Change Programs at This Morning’s Hearing With Top Interior Budget Official
Washington D.C. - During today's full Committee hearing on the Trump administration's budget proposal, Democratic members of the Natural Resources Committee questioned Scott Cameron, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy, Management, and Budget at theDepartment of the Interior (DOI), on why President Trump wants sweeping cuts to critical climate change programs. This year's Trump administration budget proposes a roughly 14 percent cut for the DOI budget, including key programs that foc… Continue Reading
03.27.19
Chair Grijalva Announces Puerto Rico Hearings, Slams “Embarrassing” Trump Remark That Puerto Rico Has Already Received Too Much Federal Help
Washington, D.C. - Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.), who led a congressional delegation to Puerto Rico on March 15-18 that featured a public listening session in San Juan and meetings with local and elected officials, released the following statement on President Trump's comments today suggesting that Puerto Rico has received too much federal assistance. "Puerto Rico is suffering from some of the worst federal neglect any American community has faced in the modern era. After a hurricane … Continue Reading
03.27.19
Grijalva, Udall Introduce Bill to Fund Water Infrastructure in Indian Country, Help Tribes Meet Longstanding Demand for Guaranteed Water Access
Washington, D.C. - Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) and Sen. Tom Udall (D-N.M.), thevice chairman of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, introduced the Indian Water Rights Settlement Extension Act today to fund water infrastructure projects in tribal communities. "In the West and in Indian Country, these settlements play a critical role in communities' long-term economic sustainability. This legislation will provide predictable and reliable funding for current and future Indian wat… Continue Reading
03.26.19
In Wake of New York Times David Bernhardt Revelations, Leading House Democrats Push For “Immediate” Release of Suppressed Pesticide Impact Reports
Washington, D.C. - In response to a New York Times report this morning that Acting Interior Secretary David Bernhardt prevented the release of reports by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) that assess pesticide impacts on threatened and endangered species, Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.), Chairwoman Nydia Velázquez (D-N.Y.) of the House Committee on Small Business, and Rep. Jared Huffman (D-Calif.) sent a letter to Bernhardt today calling for the reports' immediate release. … Continue Reading
03.26.19
Livestream Links Now Available for This Week’s Natural Resources Committee Hearings
Washington, D.C. - Livestream links are now available for this week's Natural Resources Committee hearings. The schedule, as previously announced, is available below. Tuesday, March 26 Subcommittee on Water, Oceans, and Wildlife - livestream at http://bit.ly/2UUcTNv Hearing: A legislative hearing on the following bills. · H.R. 1326 (Rep. Mike Thompson), To provide for the preservation of America's outdoor heritage and enhance recreation opportunities on Federal land, … Continue Reading
03.15.19
Chair Grijalva on Sage Grouse Policy Revisions: “This is a Smash-and-Grab Job, and Acting Secretary Bernhardt’s Clients Will Benefit Most”
Washington, D.C. - Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) today released the following statement on the Trump administration's newly announced revision to sage grouse habitat policy. "As part of its ongoing campaign to hand over public lands to fossil fuel companies, this administration is rolling back sage grouse protections that many stakeholders created together through a long and deliberative process. It seems clear that Acting Secretary David Bernhardt's clients stand to gain more than an… Continue Reading
03.14.19
Violence Against Native Women Takes Center Stage at Today’s Natural Resources Hearing
Washington, D.C. - This morning's Subcommittee for Indigenous Peoples of the United States hearing to examine the silent crisis of Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women (MMIW) featured four Native American women as expert witnesses who testified that Congress and federal agencies have not honored their trust responsibilities to Native communities, and that stopping the epidemic of violence against Native women will take time and resources that are not currently being offered. The video archive … Continue Reading
03.14.19
Chair Grijalva: Republicans Need to Change Their Extremist Tone on Climate Change – Stunts and Theatrics are Destroying any Chance of Real Engagement
Washington, D.C. - Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) today questioned House Republicans' recent series of embarrassing gaffes and confusing statements on how to address climate change, saying that time is short for Republicans to engage meaningfully on climate solutions. At a press conference this morning Ranking Member Rob Bishop (R-Utah) said the Green New Deal resolution - which so far has no legislation attached to it - is "tantamount to genocide for rural people," echoing extremist ta… Continue Reading
03.14.19
Tribes and Community Witnesses Call Out Trump Admin Over Illegal Monument Cuts at Natural Resources Hearing, Highlight Fossil Fuel Considerations
Washington, D.C. - At yesterday's Natural Resources Committee hearing examining the inadequate review and improper alteration of Utah's national monuments, Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) and committee Democrats heard from tribal and Southern Utah community witnesses who emphasized the Trump administration's failure to gather public input from a meaningful range of stakeholders, including those who supported maintaining full monument status, or to conduct any genuine review process befor… Continue Reading
03.13.19
Chairs Grijalva, Cummings Lead Letter to Acting Secretary Bernhardt Pressing for More Information on New FOIA Policies, Lack of Public Responsiveness
Washington, D.C. - Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) of the House Committee on Natural Resources and Chair Elijah E. Cummings (D-Md.) of the House Committee on Oversight and Reform today sent a letter to Acting Secretary of the Interior David Bernhardt pressing him for information on recently announced changes to the Department of the Interior's (DOI) handling of Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests. The letter, available at http://bit.ly/2UBvH3I, is also signed by Rep. TJ Cox (D-Cal… Continue Reading
03.13.19
Chairs Grijalva, Neal, Engel Lead Team of House Lawmakers Pushing Trump Officials to Answer Questions, Take Action on New Japanese Whaling Efforts
Washington, D.C. - Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.); Rep. Richard Neal (D-Mass.), who chairs the House Committee on Ways and Means; and Rep. Eliot Engel (D-N.Y.), who chairs the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, sent a letter today with a team of House Democratic lawmakers to four Trump administration officials expressing "alarm and deep concern" about Japan's recent announcement that it will withdraw from the International Whaling Commission and the International Convention for the Reg… Continue Reading
03.11.19
Chair Grijalva, Subcommittee Chair Lowenthal Request BLM Oil and Gas Enforcement Data, Release New GAO Report on BLM Enforcement Deficiencies
Washington, D.C. - Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) and Rep. Alan S. Lowenthal (D-Calif.), Chair of the Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources, sent a letter today to Acting Secretary of the Interior David Bernhardt requesting information on the Bureau of Land Management's (BLM) safety and environmental enforcement efforts. Alongside the letter, Grijalva and Lowenthal released a new Government Accountability Office (GAO) report finding that BLM has failed to complete internal contro… Continue Reading
03.11.19
Chair Grijalva on Trump Budget Cuts: Republicans Cut Taxes for the Super-Rich and Then Claim We Don’t Have Enough Money to Protect the Environment
Washington, D.C. - Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) released the following statement on today's "skinny budget" released by the Trump administration. The plan proposes a roughly 14 percent cut for the Department of the Interior without providing specifics on how those cuts would be implemented. "This budget is the Republican approach to governing in a nutshell: cut taxes for the super-rich and then, when it's time to fund national priorities, lecture us about tightening our belts. If you… Continue Reading
03.08.19
Chair Grijalva Invites Island Residents to Register for March 15 Public Listening Session With Members of Congress in San Juan, Puerto Rico
Washington, D.C. - Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) is inviting island residents to participate in a March 15 public listening session in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Doors open at 4:45 p.m. local time. The session is being held at Roberto Clemente Coliseum on Av. Franklin Delano Roosevelt. The event is part of the Committee's delegation visit to Puerto Rico - first announced yesterday - to learn more about the impacts of austerity and failed hurricane recovery. As Chair Grijalva says in a vid… Continue Reading
03.08.19
Chair Grijalva Questions Army Corps Headquarters Decision to Issue Final Permit for Rosemont Mine in So. Arizona, Vows More Oversight
Washington, D.C. - Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) today questioned the Army Corp of Engineers headquarters decision to grant a final permit to the Rosemont Mine, which is expected to damage water resources and wildlife in Southern Arizona. The proposed Rosemont Mine, a project outside Tucson, Ariz., being promoted by Hudbay Minerals Inc., is within the Cienega Creek watershed, home to the endangered Chiricahua leopard frog and other sensitive species. Grijalva for years has highlight… Continue Reading
03.06.19
VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS: Democrats Demand Answers From Trump Administration Officials on Offshore Drilling
Washington, D.C. - Today, Natural Resources Committee Democrats held an Energy and Mineral Resources Subcommittee hearing to examine the drilling policies and practices of the Trump administration. Subcommittee Chair Rep. Alan Lowenthal (D-Calif.) and committee Democrats pressed Trump administration witnesses from the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management and Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) for answers on President Trump's irresponsible offshore drilling plan that puts communit… Continue Reading
03.06.19
Chair Grijalva, Subcommittee Chair Lowenthal Renew Request for Offshore Oil Regulator’s Phone Records
Washington, D.C. - Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) and Rep. Alan Lowenthal (D-Calif.), chair of the Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources, today sent a letter to Acting Secretary of the Interior David Bernhardt requesting phone records for Scott Angelle, director of the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement. The request comes shortly before the Committee convenes a hearing at 2:00 p.m. Eastern time today on offshore drilling issues at which Angelle declined to testify. T… Continue Reading