Natural Resources Committee Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) today issued the following statement on the catastrophic flooding, ongoing destruction, and island-wide power outage caused by Hurricane Fiona, a Category 1 hurricane that struck Puerto Rico yesterday. The storm hit the island only two days before the five-year anniversary of Hurricane Maria, one of the deadliest hurricanes in history.
"There are no words to describe how devastating it is to witness Hurricane Fiona wreak havoc … Continue Reading
At today's Oversight and Investigation Subcommittee hearing, Subcommittee Chair Katie Porter (D-Calif.), announced a new Committee Staff Hearing Report titled, The Role of Public Relations Firms in Preventing Action on Climate Change. The report presents select findings and 98 pages of evidentiary documents from the Committee's investigation into public relations (PR) firms' work with fossil fuel companies.
The full Hearing Report is available here: https://bit.ly/3QKLGsH
For decades, the oil… Continue Reading
Natural Resources Committee Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) today issued the following statement on the announcement that Rep. Mary Peltola (D-Alaska) will join the Committee for the remainder of the 117th Congress.
"As the first Alaska Native (Yu'pik) woman to serve as a member of Congress, and on the Natural Resources Committee, Representative Peltola is making history," Chair Grijalva said. "She has already proven her leadership as a voice for Alaska, Indigenous communities, and the … Continue Reading
The Natural Resources Committee is holding four livestreamed events next week.
SUBCOMMITTEE ON ENERGY AND MINERAL RESOURCES
The Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources, led by Chair Alan Lowenthal (D-Calif.), will hold a legislative hearing on the following bill:
H.R. 8802 (Grijalva), To require the Secretary of the Interior and the Chief of the Forest Service to align management of public lands and waters with the President's greenhouse gas emission reduction goals, and for other … Continue Reading
The Natural Resources Committee is holding four livestreamed events next week.
SUBCOMMITTEE ON OVERSIGHT AND INVESTIGATIONS
The Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, led by Chair Katie Porter (D-Calif.), will hold an oversight hearing titled, The Role of Public Relations Firms in Preventing Action on Climate Change.
For decades, the fossil fuel industry publicly denied climate change, despite privately acknowledging the scientific evidence and knowing the harm their operations caused.… Continue Reading
The Energy and Mineral Resources Subcommittee, led by Chair Alan Lowenthal (D-Calif.), will hold a field hearing on Thursday, Sept. 8, at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time at the Morro Bay Community Center in Morro Bay, California, titled Power in the Pacific: Unlocking Offshore Wind Energy for the American West.
WATCH LIVE: https://youtu.be/mJwWAj22_eI
Following dedicated efforts of the Biden administration and the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) to promote offshore wind leasing off the Atlant… Continue Reading
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
The Hearing Report presents select findings and redacted documents from the Committee's investigation into PR firms' work with fossil fuel companies. For decades, the fossil fuel industry denied or downplayed climate change and its role in causing it. As climate denial has become less accepted by the general public, the industry has worked with PR firms to execute subtler and more sophisticated campaigns to mislead the public and block climate change policy proposals. The Hearing Report details … Continue Reading
