Press Releases
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 released the following statement on the new Council on Environmental Quality draft guidance on consideration of greenhouse gas emissions under the National Environmental Policy Act.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 Today's draft guidance seeks to limit the federal government's role in assessing whether proposed projects and activities contribute to climate change.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
06.19.19
Committee Passes Landmark Bills Blocking Unpopular Offshore Drilling, Guaranteeing Full Funding for Land and Water Conservation Fund
Washington, D.C. - At a just-concluded markup, the House Natural Resources Committee approved bills to block offshore drilling in the Eastern Gulf of Mexico and along the Atlantic and Pacific coasts and to provide the full $900 million annual authorized funding level for the Land and Water Conservation Fund. Among other measures initially listed for consideration today, Ranking Member Rob Bishop's (R-Utah) H.R. 1225, a bill to cover the costs of public land agency maintenance needs that previou… Continue Reading
06.18.19
Chair Grijalva: Newly Reported Political Interference in Interior Department Responses to Freedom of Information Act “Dangerous, Calls for Oversight”
Washington, D.C. - Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) today released the following statement on this morning's report in Roll Call that senior political officials at the Department of the Interior are reviewing responses to Freedom of Information Act requests and in some cases directing staff not to include certain material. "The Interior Department under President Trump has treated information as a political weapon, regardless of what our laws require or what democracy demands of its lead… Continue Reading
06.12.19
Rep. Van Drew, Chair Grijalva, Bipartisan Congressional Coalition Introduce Legislation to Fully Fund the Land and Water Conservation Fund
Washington D.C. - Rep. Jeff Van Drew (D-N.J.), Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) and a bipartisan group of Congressional lawmakers and environmental leaders announced the introduction of The Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) Permanent Funding Act at a recently concluded press conference this morning at the U.S. Capitol. The bill fully funds LWCF at its authorized level of $900 million annually, which Congress routinely fails to do despite the program's broad bipartisan support and de… Continue Reading
06.05.19
Leading Democrats Urge Environmental Protections at Grand Canyon, Chaco Culture Historical Park as Trump Administration Considers More Extraction
Washington, D.C. - At today’s recently concluded hearing on protecting Arizona and New Mexico from pollution by extractive industries, Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) urged the House and Senate to pass his Grand Canyon Centennial Protection Act (H.R. 1373), which sets a permanent moratorium on new mining claims on approximately 1 million acres north and south of Grand Canyon National Park. The bill is especially timely given the Department of Commerce’s June 4 recommendations to further deregul… Continue Reading
06.04.19
VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS: Chair Grijalva, Dem Lawmakers, Tribal Leaders and Advocates Call for Grand Canyon Protections Ahead of Wednesday Hearing
Washington, D.C. - Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) spoke today alongside other leading Democratic lawmakers, Native American leaders, and Arizona conservationists and businesspeople on the need to pass the Grand Canyon Centennial Protection Act, Grijalva's bill to establish a permanent moratorium on new mining claims around the Grand Canyon. The event comes a day before Wednesday's hearing on the bill at 10:00 a.m. Eastern time in the Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests, and Public L… Continue Reading
06.04.19
Chair Grijalva: Interior Dept. Recommendations on Mining Deregulation, “Critical Mineral” Designations Set New Low in Industry Giveaways
Washington, D.C. - Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) released the following statement on the newly released Department of the Interior recommendations on critical minerals and mining deregulation. "This administration has set shameful new records for industry giveaways, and this is one of the worst. Unchecked mining is already damaging inhabited areas around the Grand Canyon and other sites around the country, and we can expect much more severe impacts to public lands nationwide if these … Continue Reading
05.23.19
Grijalva, Leading Democrats Question Political Motivations, Lack of Science and Public Input on “Energy Dominance” Strategy in Series of New Letters
Washington, D.C. - Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) today sent three letters to Interior Secretary David Bernhardt seeking information on the development of the Department of the Interior's (DOI) offshore oil and gas leasing program, DOI's intention to reopen the federal coal leasing program without first producing an environmental impact statement, and on the curious inclusion of uranium on DOI's "critical minerals" list, which is not supported by the National Academy of Sciences or othe… 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
Tribal Witnesses Emphasize Spiritual and Cultural Significance of Grizzly Bears, Champion Grijalva Bill to Guarantee Tribal Input on Grizzly Management
Washington, D.C. - Yesterday's Water, Oceans, and Wildlife Subcommittee legislative hearing featured powerful testimony from Native American tribal witnesses on the profound significance of grizzly bears to tribal culture and tribal support for Chair Raúl M. Grijalva's (D-Ariz.) Tribal Heritage and Grizzly Bear Protection Act. Grijalva's bill ensures that grizzly bears are permanently protected for their ecological and cultural value and guarantees Native American tribes a role in conser… 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
05.15.19
Chair Grijalva, Rep. Lowenthal Strongly Condemn Interior Department Renewal of Mining Leases Near Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness
Washington, D.C. - Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) and Rep. Alan Lowenthal (D-Calif.), who chairs the Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources, today strongly condemned the Department of the Interior's (DOI) decision to renew two mining leases for a possible copper sulfide mine on the edge of the Boundary Waters Canoe Wilderness (BWCAW) in Minnesota, despite scientific evidence, economic data, ongoing litigation and a public record of opposition dating back 50 years. DOI's decision… Continue Reading
05.15.19
Chair Grijalva Hails Historic House Passage of Bills to Update Native Tribal Recognition Process, Protect Mashpee Tribe After Years of Republican Inaction
Washington, D.C. - Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) today hailed House passage of a pair of bills affirming Native American tribal land rights, including Rep. Tom Cole's (R-Okla.) measure to resolve a decade-long conflict over the fate of more than 1 million acres of potential tribal trust land instigated by a widely criticized 2009 Supreme Court ruling. Grijalva's remarks in favor of both bills on the House floor are available at http://bit.ly/2WKxYut. The votes come a week after Presid… Continue Reading
05.15.19
VIDEO: Interior Secretary David Bernhardt Says He’s “Not Losing Any Sleep” Over Atmospheric Carbon Being at 800,000-Year High
Washington, D.C. - Rep. Matt Cartwright (D-Pa.) today asked Interior Secretary David Bernhardt to explain his level of concern about the fact that carbon in the atmosphere is at an 800,000-year high. Bernhardt's response: "I'm not losing any sleep over it." You can watch the full video highlight of the exchange at http://bit.ly/2VuUyWR.… Continue Reading
05.14.19
Leading Democrats Introduce Legislation to Cut Methane Pollution – Bill Will Protect Health of Communities & Fight Climate Change
Washington D.C. - Rep. Diana DeGette (D-Colo.) today introduced the Methane Waste Prevention Act of 2019, presenting a Democratic approach to reducing toxic and climate-warming emissions from oil and gas operations by restoring methane waste rules President Trump canceled and moved to weaken in September 2018. The bill's original cosponsors include Natural Resources Committee Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.), Assistant Speaker Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), Natural Resources Committee Vic… Continue Reading
05.09.19
Chair Grijalva: Judge Should Reject New Puerto Rico Debt Deal – Ratepayers Shouldn’t Be Locked Into Years of Increases for Hedge Funds’ Benefit
Washington, D.C. - Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz) released the following statement on the recently announced deal to restructure more than $8 billion in legacy debt of the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority (PREPA). "This deal will sentence ratepayers to decades of unsustainable debt payments and prevent them reaching their goals of more renewable and affordable energy. It's a win for hedge funds and another loss for the people of Puerto Rico. Judge Swain should reject it." The Inst… Continue Reading
05.09.19
Chair Grijalva, Sen. Udall Introduce Hardrock Mining Reform Legislation to Modernize Mining Royalties, Address Taxpayer-Funded Mine Cleanups
Washington D.C. - At a recently concluded Capitol Hill press conference this morning, Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) and Sen. Tom Udall (D-N.M.), announced the introduction of their Houseand Senate mining reform bills to modernize the nation's badly antiquated hardrock mining laws. Energy and Mineral Resources Subcommittee Chair Alan Lowenthal (D-Calif.), an original cosponsor of the House bill, and multiple conservation and business advocates spoke in favor the legislation. The full t… Continue Reading
05.08.19
Chair Grijalva: President Trump’s Racist Tweet Just Delayed a Pair of Bills to Help Indian Country – Republicans Who Got Cold Feet Should Expect a Vote
Washington, D.C. - Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) said today that he will pursue other means of passing a pair of bills to help Indian Country after they were pulled from consideration by the House of Representatives in the wake of President Trump's racist tweet and subsequent Republican opposition to the measures. The House was scheduled to vote on Rep. Bill Keating's (D-Mass.) H.R. 312, the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe Reservation Reaffirmation Act, and Rep. Tom Cole's (R-Okla.) H.R. 375, … Continue Reading