May 19, 2022
At a press conference today, U.S. House Majority Leader Steny H. Hoyer (D-Md.), Natural Resources Committee Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.), Small Business Committee Chair Rep. Nydia Velázquez (D-N.Y.), Resident Commissioner Jenniffer González-Colón (R-Puerto Rico), Rep. Darren Soto (D-Fla.), Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), and Governor of Puerto Rico Pedro R. Pierluisi announced consensus among key members of Congress on a Discussion Draft of the Puerto Rico… Continue Reading
May 19, 2022
Natural Resources Committee Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) today issued the following statement after U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) Secretary Deb Haaland announced before the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee that the proposed program for the National Outer Continental Shelf Offshore Oil and Gas Leasing Program would be released by June 30, 2022.
"I'm glad the Biden administration is making progress in finalizing a new five-year offshore leasing program, but what … Continue Reading
May 12, 2022
Today, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a decision to block the Rosemont Mine's construction in the Coronado National Forest. Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) issued the following statement:
"Congress, federal agencies and the American public have given mining companies carte blanche and access to our public lands to profit and pollute for too long. This decision will prevent bad faith mining companies from dumping toxic waste and protect tribal sacred sites that have existed… Continue Reading
May 11, 2022
Top Democrats with oversight of the U.S. Interior Department have asked federal prosecutors to investigate a proposed Benson development for possible political interference on the project under the Trump administration.
The 37-page referral Wednesday to the U.S. Justice Department by the House Natural Resources Committee cites large, seemingly coordinated political contributions from Arizona donors to the campaign of former President Donald Trump and flags a Montana meeting that was kept off of… Continue Reading
April 07, 2022
The breaded fish sticks on your dinner plate may be made with fish caught in Russian waters, despite a new import ban on Russian seafood.
The U.S. government in March banned imports of Russian fish and seafood products, along with other consumer items such as vodka and diamonds, as part of its expanding package of sanctions against Russia over its invasion of Ukraine. Still, many tons of Russian fish have been allowed to slip into the U.S. That is because, fishery industry experts say, complex … Continue Reading
July 07, 2021
Environmentalists are ramping up their criticism of the oil and gas industry following revelations last week from an Exxon Mobil lobbyist on climate change and a viral "eye of fire" video from the Gulf of Mexico caused by a pipeline leak.
Progressives on Capitol Hill seized on the two events by pushing for robust climate provisions in forthcoming infrastructure legislation and renewing threats to haul company executives before Congress to testify.
Longtime congressional critics of the industry… Continue Reading
March 04, 2022
Last week, we all watched in horror as Vladimir Putin launched a deadly, catastrophic attack on Ukraine, violating international treaties across the board. Most of us swiftly condemned his actions and pledged support for the Ukrainian people whose country, homes and lives are under attack.
But the fossil-fuel industry had a different take. They saw an opportunity - and a shameless one at that - to turn violence and bloodshed into an oil and gas propaganda-generating scheme. Within hours, indust… Continue Reading
July 28, 2021
As a pandemic safety measure, the U.S. House of Representatives began in May 2020 to hold committee hearings remotely so that witnesses could testify from home rather than in a crowded hearing room. This allowed people of all backgrounds, not just those who already live near Washington or who are able to fly there on short notice, to have their say before Congress.
The results suggest this needs to become the new standard. After hearing from a broad range of speakers over the past year - people… Continue Reading
July 02, 2021
The world's oceans have until recently been an overlooked piece of the climate policy puzzle - a serious omission, since oceans cover more than 70 percent of earth's surface and absorb approximately a quarter of humanity's annual carbon dioxide emissions. Steps as simple as switching to cleaner shipping fuel would have tremendous climate benefits, but the impetus to take them has been lacking.
On June 8, I introduced the Ocean-Based Climate Solutions Act to put marine health and ocean managemen… 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
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