Press Releases
Grijalva Highlights Endangered Species Risks as House Republicans Pass Drought Distraction Bill, Double Down on Extinction Agenda
Washington, D.C. - For the third Congress in a row, House Republicans have forced through legislation disguised as drought relief that would weaken conservation laws while doing nothing to solve the California water crisis. Republicans also rejected a commonsense Democratic amendment to increase water supplies by funding water recycling projects, and added over strong Democratic objections an amendment that would undermine protections for endangered fish species in the Klamath River basin. "Hou… Continue Reading
07.16.15
After Six Years of Flagrant Republican Obstruction and Delays, Democrats Hail Release of Proposed OSMRE Stream Protection Rule
Washington, D.C. - Ranking Member Raúl M. Grijalva today hailed the long-awaited release of the Office of Surface Mining, Reclamation and Enforcement's (OSMRE) proposed stream protection rule, a standard to prevent mountaintop removal mining damage to public health and the environment. Republicans have fought the rule's release for more than six years, claiming without evidence that it will harm the economy - the same debunked argument they have made about many environmental standards the… Continue Reading
07.15.15
Ranking Member Grijalva Leads 89 Democrats in Asking Defense Conferees to Reject Anti-Environment Riders in National Defense Bill
Washington, D.C. - Natural Resources Committee Ranking Member Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) and 88 other House Democrats sent a letter today to House and Senate Armed Services Committee leaders asking them to keep provisions attacking endangered species and public lands out of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). A conference committee began meeting this week to reconcile differences between the House and Senate versions of the bill. While the Senate bill has few anti-environment … Continue Reading
07.15.15
Democrats Dismantle Flawed Republican and State Arguments Against BLM Fracking Rule, Highlight Intentional Misquotes
Washington, D.C. - At today's Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources hearing on the Bureau of Land Management's (BLM) final rule for hydraulic fracturing operations on Federal and Indian lands, Subcommittee Ranking Member Alan Lowenthal, Full Committee Ranking Member Raúl M. Grijalva and multiple witnesses rebutted fracking rule opponents' misleading arguments and stressed that the rule would have no impact on states with stronger fracking standards. "The oil and gas industry is ma… Continue Reading
07.15.15
Natural Resources Committee Democrats Reject Republican Attack on Endangered Species Badly Disguised as California Drought Bill
Washington, D.C. - Ahead of today's expected House debate on H.R. 2898, the Republican attack on the Endangered Species Act (ESA) disguised as a California drought bill, Natural Resources Committee Democrats highlighted this year's many GOP attempts to weaken the law by singling out individual species that Republicans have decided are no longer worth saving. H.R. 2898, which President Obama has already promised to veto because it does nothing to help Californians, weakens protections for delta … Continue Reading
07.10.15
Grijalva: Chairman Bishop's Dismissal of Native American Antiquities as “Bull Crap” Highlights Republican “Go Extinct” Attitude
Washington, D.C. - House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Rob Bishop earlier today dismissed the historical value of Native American artifacts as a basis for establishing national monuments, as first reported by Greenwire in a story about President Obama's designation of three new national monuments: "There is nothing that Obama did today that had anything to do with an antiquity," Bishop said. "There are criteria for using the act. There is nothing Obama announced that had anything to do w… Continue Reading
07.10.15
Ranking Member Grijalva Applauds President Obama for Designating Three New National Monuments Under the Antiquities Act
This has been updated from the original version to note the correct name of Waco Mammoth National Monument. The original version incorrectly listed it as Mammoth Park National Monument. Washington, D.C. - Ranking Member Raúl M. Grijalva today applauded President Obama for establishing three new national monuments under the 1906 Antiquities Act. Obama announced the establishment of Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument in California, Waco Mammoth National Monument in Texas and the Bas… Continue Reading
07.09.15
Grijalva Says Federal Forest Act “Part of Larger Republican Effort to Shortcut Regulations, Make it Easy for Industry to Cut Down Trees”
Washington, D.C. - Ranking Member Raúl M. Grijalva released the following statement today on H.R. 2647, the so-called Resilient Federal Forest Act, which the House passed a few minutes ago. The bill fails to fully address the Department of the Interior (DOI) and U.S. Forest Service fire budgeting problem, which has led to an especially destructive fire season this year, and severely limits National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) oversight and judicial review of major forestry decisions. … Continue Reading
07.09.15
Republican-Dominated Markup Features California Drought Bill That Weakens Endangered Species Act, Ignores Conservation Options
Washington, D.C. - Following the recently concluded Natural Resources Committee markup, Ranking Member Raúl M. Grijalva highlighted the wide-spread opposition to the Republican majority's bill - which passed on a nearly party-line vote - weakening the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and other environmental laws in the name of addressing the California drought. Rep. David Valadao (R-Calif.) introduced H.R. 2898 on June 25, and the Committee marked it up today without having held a hearing on … Continue Reading
07.08.15
Ranking Member Grijalva Calls GOP Interior Approps Amendments “Irresponsible,” Says Party “Ignores Public Opinion at Every Turn”
Washington, D.C. - Ranking Member Raúl M. Grijalva highlighted the irresponsible amendments approved earlier today by the House Republican majority to this year's Interior, Environment and Related Agencies appropriations bill. Grijalva, who also pointed to the multiple Democratic amendments the majority defeated, called the vote series "a stark reminder of how strongly some of my Republican colleagues dislike sound land management and endangered species protections." The House is expecte… Continue Reading
07.08.15
Democrats Highlight Thursday Markup’s Lack of Attention to Energy Policy, Expiring Conservation Programs, Designation Requests
Washington, D.C. - Natural Resources Committee Democrats today highlighted the narrow agenda for Thursday's full committee markup, which features a list of primarily Republican bills that ignore the need for a comprehensive national energy policy, the need to reauthorize expiring conservation and recreation programs, and multiple Democratic requests for new wilderness designations, among other critical issues. The full expected list of bills under consideration is available at the end of this pr… Continue Reading
06.30.15
Grijalva Calls FWS Rejection of Endangered Wolf Petition “Delusional,” Questions Agency’s Commitment to Gray Wolf Recovery
Washington, D.C. - Earlier today the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), which is still considering how to proceed with its June 2013 proposed rule to eliminate Endangered Species Act (ESA) protections for the gray wolf, dismissed a petition submitted in January to downlist the species from endangered to threatened rather than remove ESA protections entirely. The dismissal rejects the best available science and ignores a March 4 letter submitted by 79 House Democrats, led by Ranking Member Ra&… Continue Reading
06.30.15
Ranking Member Grijalva Hails New Interior Department Tribal Recognition Process, Calls Republican Approach "Paternalistic and Inappropriate"
Washington, D.C. - Ranking Member Raúl M. Grijalva today hailed the newly announced Interior Department (DOI) process for formally recognizing Native American tribes. The process, announced in a rulemaking on the so-called Part 83 process for DOI to recognize a tribe at the federal level, will reduce wait times for petitioning Indian Country communities and clarify recognition procedures. The rule was prepared by DOI Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs Kevin K. Washburn. A fact sheet … Continue Reading
06.26.15
Grijalva Reintroduces Package of Bills that Preserve, Protect and Restore Arizona Public Land, Citing Economic and Cultural Benefits
Washington, D.C. - Ranking Member Raúl M. Grijalva introduced a package of three Arizona public land bills yesterday - the Sonoran Desert Heritage Act, the Southern Arizona Public Lands Protection Act and the Santa Cruz Valley National Heritage Area Act - that mark the latest step in his ongoing efforts to preserve natural and cultural resources throughout the state. Grijalva will be in Arizona next week and available for media inquiries. The Arizona public land bill package includes: &… Continue Reading
06.26.15
Ranking Member Grijalva Will Discuss Legislative Priorities With National Congress of American Indians in Minnesota on Monday
Washington, D.C. ?-? Ranking Member Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) will travel to St. Paul, Minn., to speak on June 29 at the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) 2015 Mid-Year Conference about his legislative initiatives to defend tribal treaty rights; protect Native American lands, assets, and resources; ensure accountable tribal consultation by the federal government; and safeguard tribal cultural, religious and historical resources. Grijalva's visit will include a conversation wi… Continue Reading
06.25.15
Ranking Member Grijalva Highlights Democratic Priorities, Republican Failings Ahead of Interior Appropriations Votes
Washington, D.C. - Ahead of today's expected House floor debate on the Interior, Environment and Related Agencies appropriations bill, Natural Resources Committee Ranking Member Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) highlighted Republican riders in the bill that would block the Administration's fracking and stream protection rules, undermine the Endangered Species Act, and deny climate change, all of which are likely targets for Democratic amendments. "This bill is what you get when my colleagues o… Continue Reading
06.23.15
Grijalva, Lowenthal, Polis Lead Call for Interior Secretary to Reduce Methane and Carbon Emissions on Public Lands, Increase Royalties
Washington, D.C. - House Natural Resources Committee Ranking Member Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.), Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources Ranking Member Alan S. Lowenthal (D-Calif.) and Rep. Jared Polis (D-Colo.) sent a letter today with 28 colleagues to Interior Secretary Sally Jewell urging strong regulations to reduce methane emissions from public lands. By capturing more of the gas, the authors write, federal agencies could limit greenhouse gas emissions from public lands and gener… Continue Reading
06.19.15
Grijalva, Lowenthal Call for Increased Onshore Oil and Gas Royalty and Rental Rates, Stronger Civil Penalties and Bonding Standards
Washington, D.C. - Ranking Member Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) and Energy and Mineral Resources Subcommittee Ranking Member Alan S. Lowenthal (D-Calif.) today sent a letter to the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) urging increased royalty rates for onshore oil and gas production. The letter, a response to the Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on royalty and rental rates published April 21, also calls for updating civil penalties for lease term violations and more stringent bonding require… Continue Reading
06.18.15
Líderes Demócrata del Comité de Recursos Naturales: La Llamada del Papa para Acción Climática Transciende la Política, Debería Impulsar Cambios del Corazón
Washington, D.C. - Líderes demócratas del Comité de Recursos Naturales de la Cámara de Representantes aclamaron la publicación de la encíclica, "Laudato Si," del Papa Francisco esta mañana, un llamado a los pueblos del mundo sobre los impactos ambientales y climáticos obrados por los estilos de vida y la disminución del consumo innecesario. La encíclica, que expresa la necesidad de una gestión ambiental más con… Continue Reading
06.18.15
Democratic Nat. Resources Committee Leaders: Pope’s Call for Climate Action Transcends Politics, Should Prompt Changes of Heart
Washington, D.C. - Democratic leaders on the House Natural Resources Committee hailed Pope Francis' release this morning of his encyclical "Praise Be," a call to the world's people to consider the environmental and climate impacts of their lifestyles and reduce unnecessary consumption. The encyclical, which highlights the need for more conscientious environmental stewardship by governments, corporations and individuals around the globe, is a formal Catholic teaching document and statement of pr… Continue Reading