Press Releases
Currently showing results related to Water, Wildlife and Fisheries
The Colorado River Drought Contingency Plan, Explained – Read More on How Chair Grijalva’s Recently Enacted Bill Helps the West
Washington, D.C. - Last week, President Trump signed Chair Raúl M. Grijalva's (D-Ariz.) Colorado River Drought Contingency Plan Authorization Act into law, marking a new chapter for 40 million western water users who rely on the Colorado River to support their communities, farms and economies. In a new Medium post, the House Natural Resources Committee lays out the many ways in which the plan improves prospects for the seven Colorado River Basin states and makes it possible to begin the e… Continue Reading
04.15.19
Chair Grijalva Invites Secretary Bernhardt to Testify by May 15 on Interior Policies and Ethical Concerns, Says Delays No Longer Acceptable
Washington, D.C. - Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) today sent a letter to Interior Secretary David Bernhardt inviting him to testify before the Committee on May 15 on the Department of the Interior's (DOI) policies and priorities, as well as issues raised by recent revelations regarding the Secretary's schedule and record-keeping. The letter comes after several months of correspondence and staff-level discussion between the Committee and Bernhardt's office. "Secretary Bernhardt has bee… Continue Reading
04.10.19
Grijalva, Huffman Push Interior Dept. on Refusal to Cooperate With GAO Inquiry on Water Issue Dating to Acting Secretary Bernhardt’s Previous Tenure
Washington, D.C. - Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) and Rep. Jared Huffman (D-Calif.), who chairs the Subcommittee on Water, Oceans, and Wildlife, sent a letter to Acting Secretary of the Interior David Bernhardt today calling for immediate cooperation by the Department of the Interior (DOI), which has refused to discuss unusual financial transactions between the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation; Westlands Water District, a former lobbying client of Bernhardt's; and several other California wat… Continue Reading
04.10.19
Grijalva Introduces CECIL Act to Limit Importation of Lions, Other Threatened Species to the U.S. – Urges Bipartisan Action Against Destructive Trophy Hunts
Washington, D.C. - Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) today introduced the Conserving Ecosystems by Ceasing the Importation of Large (CECIL) Animal Trophies Act, a bill that restricts the importation of African lion trophies and other sport-hunted species that have been proposed for listing under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The bill is titled after Cecil, an African lion lured out of protected territory and killed in an illegal hunt by American dentist Walter Palmer in Zimbabwe in 2… Continue Reading
04.08.19
Grijalva Hails House Passage of Drought Contingency Plan Bill He Introduced Last Week – Endorsed by River Basin States, Tribal and Other Stakeholders
Washington, D.C. - Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) today hailed House passage of the Colorado River Drought Contingency Plan Authorization Act, which he introduced April 2. Thanks to Grijalva's leadership, the House approved the bill - formally designated H.R. 2030 - by a voice vote, expediting passage and avoiding procedural hurdles to get the bill closer to President Trump's desk as fast as possible. During a related debate in the Senate this afternoon, it was agreed that as soon… Continue Reading
04.05.19
Chairs Raúl M. Grijalva & Jared Huffman Request Documents on Acting DOI Secretary Bernhardt’s Ties with Westlands Water District
Washington, D.C. - Natural Resources Committee Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) and Water, Oceans, & Wildlife Subcommittee Chair Rep. Jared Huffman (D-San Rafael) launched a new inquiry today seeking documents associated with David Bernhardt, the current Deputy Secretary and Acting Secretary of the Interior, and California's powerful Westlands Water District, a former client of Bernhardt's. Serious questions have been raised in filings with the Department of the Interior Inspector Gen… Continue Reading
04.02.19
Chair Grijalva Will Introduce Colo. River Drought Contingency Plan Authorization Act Today – Vows Swift Committee Movement, Urges Senate to Act Fast
Washington, D.C. - Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) today will introduce the Colorado River Drought Contingency Plan Authorization Act, a bill to approve the water management agreement recently reached by the seven states in the Colorado River Basin to reduce to impacts of drought and climate change-induced water shortages across the West. Grijalva has vowed to move the bill - available at http://bit.ly/2YLpFAi - quickly through the Natural Resources Committee, which oversees the U.S. Bur… 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
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
03.13.19
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
03.06.19
LIVESTREAM LINKS: Today’s Hearing on Offshore Drilling Regulations, Thursday Hearing on Risks to Right Whales Are Available to Watch Live Online
Washington, D.C. - Livestream links are now available for today's hearing at 2:00 p.m. Eastern time and Thursday's hearing at 10:00 a.m. Eastern time. Energy and Mineral Resources Today's hearing at 2:00 p.m. Eastern time in the Energy and Mineral Resources Subcommittee will - as previously announced - examine the Trump administration's offshore drilling policies and whether agency decisions sufficiently protect our environment. The event will be livestreamed and archived at http://bit.ly/2XD… Continue Reading
02.07.19
Chair Grijalva Champions Bold Climate Action, Supports Green New Deal Resolution
Washington, D.C. - Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) today announced his support for the Green New Deal resolution unveiled by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.), and other Congressional Democrats. Grijalva, who yesterday led the first in a monthlong series of hearings on climate change in the Natural Resources Committee, said he is excited to work with supporters of the plan throughout the 116th Congress to reduce U.S. emissions and build a more sustainable e… Continue Reading
02.06.19
VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS: House Natural Resources Committee Holds Historic Hearing on Climate Change Impacts
Washington D.C. - The House Natural Resources Committee, led by Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.), held the first hearing today of a monthlong series on climate change impacts to communities and the need for strong new federal policies. The hearing, titled Climate Change: Impacts and the Need to Act, was the first on climate change in this Committee since June of 2009. Video highlights from today's hearing are available below. Witness testimony and Chair Grijalva's opening statement, amon… Continue Reading
02.05.19
Chair Grijalva: Trump’s Expected Failure to Meaningfully Address Climate Change Underscores Why We’re Holding Our Wednesday Morning Hearing
Washington, D.C. - Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) said that President Trump's expected failure to meaningfully address climate change in tonight's State of the Union underscores the pressing need for congressional action and throws a spotlight on the Natural Resources Committee hearing at 10:00 a.m. Eastern time on how climate change has impacted communities across the country. That hearing - which will feature testimony from Gov. Roy Cooper (D-N.C.) and Gov. Charlie Baker (R-Mass.), am… Continue Reading
02.05.19
REMINDER: Natural Resources Committee Hearing This Wednesday Kicks Off Month of Climate Change Action
Washington, D.C. - The Natural Resources Committee is holding a hearing on climate change and impacted communities at 10:00 a.m. Eastern time on Wednesday, Feb. 6, in Longworth 1324 on Capitol Hill. The hearing, led by Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) and titled Climate Change: Impacts and the Need to Act, kicks off a month of climate change hearings in the Committee and its subcommittees. The Wednesday morning event can be viewed via livestream at http://bit.ly/2UD53Hp As with all Comm… Continue Reading
02.04.19
Full February Hearing Schedule Announced – Thursday Hearing in Water, Oceans, and Wildlife Panel Will Focus on Climate Change and Ocean Health
Washington, D.C. - The Water, Oceans, and Wildlife Subcommittee will hold a hearing on Thurs., Feb. 7, at 2:00 p.m. Eastern time in Longworth 1324 on climate change and ocean health. A full witness list is available below. As with all Committee hearings, the event is open to press and the public. Thursday's hearing is the second in a monthlong series of Committee hearings on climate change impacts in our jurisdiction. The remaining hearing schedule is included at the end of this press release.… Continue Reading
01.29.19
Chair Raúl M. Grijalva Announces Natural Resources Committee Democratic Leadership Team
Washington D.C. - Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) today announced the Democratic leadership team and subcommittee memberships of the Natural Resources Committee for the 116th Congress. Photo highlights of the recently concluded Democratic organizing meeting are available at http://bit.ly/2HLIPBE. "Protecting our environment, taking climate change seriously, and putting the public interest first are not optional on this Committee, and that's what Democrats are going to do every day for t… Continue Reading