Press Releases
Currently showing results related to Oversight and Investigations
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
05.03.19
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
04.29.19
After Months of Delay, Chair Grijalva Presses Interior Sec. Bernhardt to Testify on the Record – New Letter Outlines Pattern of Stonewalling
Washington, D.C. - In a letter today, Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) pressed Interior Secretary David Bernhardt to testify before the House Natural Resources Committee on May 15 as previously requested. The letter comes after months of stonewalling and failed staff-level outreach to Bernhardt, who has only indicated an interest in private, off-the-record, one-on-one meetings with individual lawmakers on the Committee. The full letter is available at http://bit.ly/2GGBRde. Several week… 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
04.11.19
As Questions Mount on Interior Handling of FOIA Requests, Grijalva and Cummings Lead Letter to Appropriators Pushing for More DOI FOIA Staff
Washington, D.C. - Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) and House Oversight and Reform Committee Chairman Elijah Cummings (D-Md.) today sent a letter with Rep. TJ Cox (D-Calif.), chair of the Natural Resources Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, and Rep. Harley Rouda (D-Calif.), chair of the Oversight and Reform Subcommittee on the Environment, to top House appropriators urging a funding increase sufficient to hire at least 10 new full-time employees dedicated to FOIA response. The… Continue Reading
04.02.19
Grijalva, Cox Request Funding Bump for DOI Oversight Office as Sec. Nominee Faces Conflicts of Interest, Complaints Up 48 Percent Over Past Four Years
Washington D.C. - Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) and Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee Chair Rep. TJ Cox (D-Calif.) sent a letter to the House Committee on Appropriations today requesting a $2.5 million funding increase for the Department of the Interior's (DOI) Office of the Inspector General (OIG) for fiscal year 2020. In today's letter, available at http://bit.ly/2WIoxv4, the lawmakers highlight the 48 percent increase in complaints received by the OIG since FY2015. The OIG … 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
03.13.19
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
03.05.19
In New Letter, Chair Grijalva Rejects Ranking Member Bishop Claim That Climate Change is Outside Committee Jurisdiction – And Promises More Hearings
Washington, D.C. - Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) today comprehensively rejected Ranking Member Rob Bishop's (R-Utah) complaints that climate change is outside the Committee's jurisdiction, writing in a new letter that hearings on the issue will continue. Grijalva notes that while Bishop seems to believe the Committee cannot and should not examine climate change - holding no related hearings during his four-year chairmanship - Grijalva disagrees and will lead the Committee accordingly. … Continue Reading
02.14.19
Grijalva, Cummings and Speier Express Concern with Forest Service’s Failure to Address Sexual Harassment
Washington, D.C. (Feb. 14, 2019)-Today, Rep. Raúl M. Grijalva, the Chairman of the Committee on Natural Resources; Rep. Elijah E. Cummings, the Chairman of the Committee on Oversight and Reform; and Rep. Jackie Speier, the Chairwoman of the Armed Services Subcommittee on Military Personnel, issued the following statement in response to a new report from the Department of Agriculture Inspector General identifying numerous failures by management in U.S. Forest Service Region 5. The report i… Continue Reading
02.13.19
Chair Grijalva Calls on President Trump to Withdraw Nomination of Barry Myers to Head NOAA Over Sexual Harassment Settlement Revelations
Washington, D.C. - Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) today called on President Trump to withdraw the nomination of Barry Myers to head the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Myers is the former chief executive of AccuWeather, which paid out a recently reported $290,000 settlement as part of an agreement that states the company subjected women to "sexual harassment and a hostile work environment" during his tenure. As the Washington Post recently reported: The agreeme… Continue Reading
02.11.19
In New Letter, Chair Grijalva and Subcommittee Chair Lowenthal Press Acting Secretary Bernhardt for Documents on Canceling Mining Health Impact Study
Washington, D.C. - In a new letter sent today, Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) and Rep. Alan Lowenthal (D-Calif.), the chair of the Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources, ask Acting Secretary of the Interior David Bernhardt for documents, communications, and other information on the 2017 cancellation of a National Academy of Sciences study on the health impacts of mountaintop removal mining. Department of the Interior (DOI) officials initially billed the cancellation as part of a … Continue Reading
02.08.19
In New Letter, Chair Grijalva and Subcommittee Chair TJ Cox Request Calendars, Schedule Information From Acting Interior Secretary Bernhardt
Washington, D.C. - Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) and Rep. TJ Cox (D-Calif.), chair of the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, sent a letter to Acting Interior Secretary David Bernhardt late yesterday requesting calendars prepared by him or on his behalf after July 24, 2017. The letter, which also requests any Meeting Proposal Information Forms submitted to his office after July 4, 2017, is available at http://bit.ly/2RLtZus. The lawmakers emphasize their concern that Bernhar… 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
02.05.19
Chair Grijalva, Rep. Lowenthal Press Uranium Companies For Information on Lobbying Efforts With Trump Administration
Washington, D.C. - Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) and Energy and Mineral Resources Subcommittee Chair Alan Lowenthal (D-Calif.) sent a letter today asking Energy Fuels and Ur-Energy, two major uranium companies, to clarify the extent of their influence in the Department of Interior's (DOI) decision to classify uranium as a critical mineral and in the ongoing Department of Commerce (DOC) investigation into the uranium supply as a matter of national security. You can read the full letter … 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