April 06, 2020
Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) and 15 other House Democrats wrote to Interior Secretary David Bernhardt today urging him to reject Republican and fossil fuel industry calls for royalty cuts on oil and gas taken from federal lands and waters. Such a move, the authors write, would be illegal, unnecessary, and disconnected from the realities the country faces during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The full letter is available at https://bit.ly/2UNdWRC.
Regardless of the Trump administration's pol… Continue Reading
April 03, 2020
Chair Raúl M. Grijalva released the following statement on President Trump's meeting at the White House today with fossil fuel industry executives.
"The president's choice to hold a high-profile meeting with oil and gas interests today tells the country everything it needs to know about his priorities in the middle of a crisis. He won't be meeting with any of the millions of Americans filing for unemployment. He won't be meeting with renewable energy workers. He's spending his time calcu… Continue Reading
April 01, 2020
Chair Raúl M. Grijalva today said the timeline of the Interior Department's recently announced decision to close Grand Canyon National Park to visitors - several days after a case of COVID-19 was reported near the park and five days after local health officials first pleaded for the park's closure - makes no sense and raises new questions about the Trump administration's priorities.
The closure announcement, according to a press release from Interior Department spokeswoman Faith Vander V… Continue Reading
March 27, 2020
U.S. territories, where health infrastructure is weaker than most mainland facilities and local governments are facing serious financial challenges, have already reported several COVID-19 fatalities and dozens of cases. Government officials and residents of the territories are justifiably worried that an inadequate federal pandemic response will lead to preventable loss of life on a scale that - because of recent disasters - they've unfortunately already seen in the recent past.
As leaders of t… Continue Reading
March 27, 2020
In a significant victory for the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, a federal judge on Wednesday ordered a sweeping new environmental review of the Dakota Access Pipeline.
The pipeline, which runs from North Dakota to Illinois, has been carrying oil for nearly three years and has been contested by environmental groups and Native American tribes who live near it. President Trump sought to keep the project alive.
The ruling by United States District Judge James E. Boasberg found that the pipeline's "eff… Continue Reading
March 22, 2020
The new coronavirus has found its way to Chilchinbeto, Ariz., a remote Navajo hamlet of about500 in the high desert, a sign of the startling reach of infections in the U.S., and a worrisomeharbinger for all Native American communities.
As tribal leaders around the country gear up for the pandemic's arrival, they worry the federalagencies that are supposed to help protect them aren't ready. The federal Indian Health Serviceis already facing major shortages, and the Centers for Disease Control an… Continue Reading
October 30, 2019
This year is the 100th anniversary of the establishment of Grand Canyon National Park. Even with former fossil fuel lobbyists in charge of Trump administration environmental policy, this should be a time to celebrate.
Instead, the administration is considering whether to open this internationally iconic landmark to new uranium mining claims. The president recently classified uranium as a "critical mineral," despite it not matching the definition of the term.
Opening protected land to the indus… Continue Reading
July 28, 2019
In August 1988, during his successful campaign for the presidency, George H.W. Bush promised a cheering crowd of Republican voters in Michigan that his first year in office would feature "a global conference on the environment at the White House."
He vowed to invite the Chinese, Soviets, and emerging nations to talks on "global warming, saving our oceans and preventing the loss of tropical forests."Most important, Bush said, "We will act."
It's hard to picture the Trump administration making t… Continue Reading
July 11, 2019
We traveled to Puerto Rico in March with several of our congressional colleagues to hear from the public on how best to rebuild civil society and a functioning economy. The same theme came up again and again: As much as anything, Puerto Rico needs relief from its crushing debt burden.
For a hurricane-ravaged community whose needs the Trump administration has neglected, the bloodless term "debt relief" might not sound to outside observers like a top priority. In fact, it is key to any hope for P… Continue Reading
May 14, 2018
Last week Ranking Member Grijalva and Rep Lowenthal, the top Democrat on the Energy and Mineral Resources Subcommittee, introduced the Hardrock Leasing and Reclamation Act of 2018.
The Grijalva-Lowenthal bill requires hardrock mining operations to meet some of the same requirements and standards that already apply to oil, gas, and coal development on public lands. Among other measures, the bill would:
Eliminate the antiquated use of mining claims, and create a leasing system for hardrock mi… Continue Reading
May 08, 2018
Today marks the 230th day since our fellow Americans living in Puerto Rico lost power and were devastated by Hurricane Maria. Many people living on the island are still lacking power and still need assistance from the federal government. Instead of addressing the immediate needs of the people, Chairman Rob Bishop (R-Utah) traveled to Puerto Rico to promote oil and gas projects and discuss importing fossil fuels to the island. Bishop has continuously ignored the fact that renewable energy sources… Continue Reading
April 24, 2018
The House is voting on H.R. 3144 on Wednesday - also known as the Columbia River Salmon Extinction Act - which will drive the Pacific Northwest's salmon runs closer to extinction. Federal agencies have been ordered by the courts to develop a new salmon recovery plan to bring back dwindling salmon populations. H.R. 3144 attempts to mandate an outdated recovery plan that won't recover salmon and that has been deemed illegal by federal courts. Ranking Member Grijalva opposes the bill for the follow… Continue Reading
April 06, 2020
April 01, 2020
March 31, 2020
February 04, 2020
April 19, 2019
See the report by the Government Accountablity Office here.… Continue Reading
October 31, 2018
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March 12, 2020
