November 20, 2019
The House of Representatives today passed a collection of bipartisan conservation measures, including the Shark Fin Sales Elimination Act, a bill from Rep. Gregorio Sablan (D-CNMI) making it illegal to possess, buy, or sell shark fins or any product containing shark fins. The North American Wetlands Conservation Extension Act from Rep. Mike Thompson (D-Calif.) reauthorizesthe North American Wetlands Conservation Act - which provides matching grants to wetlands conservation projects in the Unite… Continue Reading
November 20, 2019
Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.), Rep. Alan Lowenthal (D-Calif.), Chair of the Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources, and Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) today introduced the Stop Giving Big Oil Free Money Act, a bill repealing a loophole in the Deepwater Royalty Relief Act of 1995 (DWRRA) that allowed oil and gas companies to avoid paying approximately $18 billion in royalties to the American people between 2000 and 2018. As recently detailed by the New York Times, the Newt Gingrich-era … Continue Reading
November 19, 2019
Today the House Natural Resources Subcommittee for Indigenous Peoples of the United States held an oversight hearing to review the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights report Broken Promises: Continuing Federal Funding Shortfall for Native Americans. The report, released in December of 2018, confirms what tribes across the country already know that the federal government is not meeting its trust responsibilities and that federal agency spending in Indian country is woefully inadequate.
The report's… Continue Reading
November 19, 2019
With its coal sector crumbling, Wyoming is leaning heavily on its oil industry to make up the difference. But experts are signaling that the boom times are truly over for Wyoming's fossil fuel-dependent economy, and some politicians are taking note.
Though largely off the national radar, the nation's least populous state is ground zero for a rapidly evolving energy transition its politically conservative leaders don't really want, driven by markets out of their control.… Continue Reading
November 08, 2019
Small, local groups pushing environmental justice issues are getting new attention from Washington lawmakers and major green groups - as well as Democratic presidential hopefuls who are eager to harness their grassroots activism.
Problems, like lead contamination in Flint, Mich., that affect low-income and minority communities can attract national attention, but the threats facing those communities from climate-related disasters are now mobilizing politicians and large environmental organizatio… Continue Reading
November 08, 2019
Small, local groups pushing environmental justice issues are getting new attention from Washington lawmakers and major green groups - as well as Democratic presidential hopefuls who are eager to harness their grassroots activism.
Problems, like lead contamination in Flint, Mich., that affect low-income and minority communities can attract national attention, but the threats facing those communities from climate-related disasters are now mobilizing politicians and large environmental organizatio… 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
November 18, 2019
November 14, 2019
November 14, 2019
In a letter to Interior Secretary David Bernhardt this morning, Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) says the attempted forced relocation of close to 250 Bureau of Land Management (BLM) employees from Washington, D.C., to Grand Junction, Colo., and other offices across the West needs to be justified to Congress without delay, and that Acting Director William Perry Pendley's failure to answer even basic questions about the effort is unacceptable. In aseparate letter this morning, Grijalva asks… Continue Reading
October 31, 2018
June 19, 2018
A June 19, 2018, report by the Government Accountability Office on the oil and gas industry frequently leasing public land and doing nothing with it.… Continue Reading
June 05, 2018
A June 5, 2018, GAO report on the high cost to taxpayers of orphaned oil and gas wells. The report finds that the Bureau of Land Management has not kept accurate records of such costs.… Continue Reading
May 22, 2018
October 03, 2017
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September 11, 2019
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July 25, 2019
July 25, 2019
