Press Releases
Opinion | Indigenous People Need Real Compensation for Climate Change
Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) and Dr. Michael Shank, Communications Director for the Carbon Neutral Cities Alliance and adjunct faculty at NYU's Center for Global Affairs, published a new opinion piece in Newsweek today. As climate talks wrapped up at the 27th Conference of the Parties (COP27) in Egypt this past month, the attending delegates agreed to make long-awaited history. For the first time, the United Nations adopted a pact to establish a "loss and damage" fund for developin… Continue Reading
12.08.22
Chair Grijalva, 10 California Members Send Letter Requesting Improvements to Decommissioning of Offshore Oil and Gas Equipment
Washington, D.C. - House Natural Resources Committee Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) today sent a letter signed by 10 other Members of Congress from California to the federal Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) and the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) outlining needed improvements to the decommissioning process for offshore oil and gas infrastructure off the California coast. Together, BOEM and BSEE are the agencies primarily responsible for managing and oversee… Continue Reading
12.06.22
Chair Grijalva Statement on Exclusion of Dirty Permitting Rider from Must-Pass Defense Bill
Washington, D.C. - House Natural Resources Committee Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) today issued the following statement on the permitting related provisions being excluded from the must-pass FY 2023 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA): "Thanks to the hard-fought persistence and vocal opposition of environmental justice communities all across the country, the Dirty Deal has finally been laid to rest," Chair Grijalva said. "House Democrats can now close out the year having made hi… Continue Reading
12.02.22
Chair Grijalva, Rep. Porter Seek Documents on Another Incident of Potential Bribery under the Trump Administration
Washington, D.C. - House Natural Resources Committee Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) and Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee Chair Katie Porter (D-Calif.) today sent a letter to U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) Secretary Deb Haaland requesting documents regarding a second incident of potential bribery between senior officials in the Trump administration and real estate developer Mike Ingram. Previously, the lawmakers sent the Committee's first-ever criminal referral to the U.S… Continue Reading
11.30.22
Chair Grijalva Celebrates New Avi Kwa Ame National Monument, Actions on Tribal Consultation and Co-Management
Washington, D.C. - House Natural Resources Committee Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) today issued the following statement on President Biden's designation of the nearly 450,000-acre Avi Kwa Ame National Monument in Nevada and the administration's announcement of several new actions to support Indian Country at today's White House Tribal Nations Summit. "I want to extend thanks to President Biden for once again demonstrating that Indigenous voices have a say in this administration," Chai… Continue Reading
11.29.22
Chair Grijalva Statement on Passing of Congressman A. Donald McEachin
Washington, D.C. - House Natural Resources Committee Chair Raúl M. Grijalva(D-Ariz.) today issued the following statement on the untimely passing of Rep. A. Donald McEachin (D-Va.). Rep McEachin has served as a member of the Committee since coming to Congress in 2017. "It's with great sorrow that I join the large chorus of people mourning the loss of our colleague and dear friend, Congressman McEachin. He was a man of great faith who set the standard for kindness and compassion. His me… Continue Reading
11.21.22
Chair Grijalva Sends Letter to House Leadership, Reiterates Concerns about Dirty Permitting Rider in Must-Pass Legislation
Washington, D.C. - House Natural Resources Committee Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) today sent a letter to Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) emphasizing previously stated concerns about including permitting related provisions in must-pass legislation, namely the National Defense Authorization Act or government funding legislation. Enclosed with the letter is a copy of the Sept. 12 letter led by Chair Grijalva and signed by 76 other memb… Continue Reading
11.18.22
Chair Grijalva Cheers Biden Administration’s Funding Request for Rooftop Solar in Puerto Rico
Washington, D.C. - House Natural Resources Committee Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) today issued the following statement on the Biden administration's request to Congress for $3 billion in emergency supplemental funding to provide rooftop solar and storage for low-income households and household with persons with disabilities in Puerto Rico. The funding would be administered by the Department of Energy (DOE). "The people of Puerto Rico have been battered by natural disaster after natur… Continue Reading
11.17.22
New Government Watchdog Report: Cybersecurity of Offshore Oil and Gas Infrastructure is Inadequate, Posing Major Risks
Washington, D.C. - The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) today released a new report, which found significant and increasing cybersecurity risks to offshore oil and gas drilling infrastructure, namely equipment operational technology. House Natural Resources Committee Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) and Energy and Mineral Resources Subcommittee Chair Alan Lowenthal (D-Calif.) requested the report in December 2021. GAO's full report is available here: https://www.gao.gov/produc… Continue Reading
11.04.22
Chair Grijalva Commends Biden Administration’s Environmental Justice Scorecard, Calls for Strong Monitoring of NEPA and Civil Rights Act Compliance
Washington, D.C. - House Natural Resources Committee Chair Raúl M. Grijalva yesterday sent a letter to the Biden administration praising their work to create an annual Environmental Justice (EJ) Scorecard and offering formal comments to guide its development. The administration announced the launch of a public comment period for the EJ Scorecard's vision, framework, and engagement plan in August. Chair Grijalva's full comments are available here. In his letter, Chair Grijalva emphasized… Continue Reading
10.19.22
Chair Grijalva Statement on SCOTUS Denial of Fitisemanu v. United States
WASHINGTON - House Natural Resources Committee Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) issued the following statement: "The Supreme Court failed in its moral and judicial responsibilities to take up Fitisemanu v. United States and overturn the racist Insular Cases," said Chair Grijalva. "Today in America, residents of the U.S. Territories continue to be treated as second-class citizens and this latest decision maintains the Plessy-era status quo of keeping them 'separate and unequal'." "While… Continue Reading
10.18.22
Chair Grijalva Applauds Department of Interior’s Plan to Hold the First Pacific Offshore Wind Lease Sale
WASHINGTON - Natural Resources Committee Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) today issued the following statement on the U.S. Department of the Interior's (DOI) announcement of the first-ever offshore wind lease sale in the Pacific. "Right now, nearly a quarter of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions come from fossil fuels on our public lands and waters. This latest announcement of offshore wind energy in the Pacific will shift the balance and enable our federal waters to become part of the clima… Continue Reading
10.13.22
New GAO Report Finds Inconsistencies and Data Gaps in Federal Efforts to Prevent Overfishing
Washington, D.C. - The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) released a new report today examining the National Marine Fisheries Service's (NMFS) and Regional Fisheries Management Councils' efforts to prevent overfishing and assess fishing stocks across the agency's six regional fisheries science centers. The report was requested by House Natural Resources Committee Chair Raúl M. Grijalva in November 2019. The report found that fishery stock assessments varied widely across NMFS' … Continue Reading
10.12.22
Chair Grijalva Celebrates Designation of Camp Hale as First New National Monument of Biden Presidency
Washington, D.C. - House Natural Resources Committee Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) today issued the following statement on President Joseph R. Biden's designation of Camp Hale-Continental Divide National Monument in Colorado. "I applaud President Biden for using his authorities under the Antiquities Act to designate the first new national monument of his presidency. With its rich cultural and natural history, Camp Hale is worthy of the honor. I also want to congratulate my colleague C… Continue Reading
10.12.22
Chair Grijalva, Members of Congress Send Letters Requesting Critical Resources for Disaster Recovery and Resilience in Puerto Rico and Florida Following Hurricanes Fiona and Ian
Washington, D.C. - Over the past week, House Natural Resources Committee Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) led two letters requesting critical resources to assist recovery and resiliency efforts in Puerto Rico and Florida after Hurricanes Fiona and Ian. The first letter, sent yesterday and cosigned by 37 other members of Congress, urges Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and House Appropriations Committee Chair Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) to provide $5 billion to the U.S. Department o… Continue Reading
10.07.22
Chair Grijalva Introduces Bipartisan Legislation to Protect Wild Horses and Burros
Washington, D.C. - Natural Resources Committee Chairman Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) today introduced the Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Protection Act of 2022 to ensure the humane management of wild horses and burros and protect them from slaughter. Rep. David Schweikert (R-Ariz.), Rep. Dina Titus (D-Nev.), Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.), Rep. Steve Cohen (D-Tenn.), and Rep. Joe Neguse (D-Colo.) are original cosponsors of the bill. A fact sheet on the bill is available here. The ful… Continue Reading
10.03.22
Chair Grijalva Praises President Biden’s Announcement of Additional Funding and Resources for Puerto Rico Post-Hurricane Fiona
Washington, D.C. - Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) today issued the following statement on President Joe Biden's announcement to deliver $60 million in Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding to Puerto Rico to repair levees, strengthen flood walls, and create a new flood warning system. President Biden also announced increased efforts by the Department of Energy and other federal agencies to make Puerto Rico's energy system cleaner and more reliable. "The people of Puerto Rico have not on… Continue Reading
09.27.22
Chair Grijalva Cheers Rejection of Dirty Permitting Rider, Awaits Vote on Clean Continuing Resolution
Washington, D.C. - House Natural Resources Committee Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) today issued the following statement on the announcement that Sen. Joe Manchin's (D-W.V.) permitting rider will be removed from the Continuing Resolution. "Taking the dirty permitting rider out of must-pass government funding is the right decision and I'm grateful to my colleagues for making it. But I'm even more grateful to the hundreds of environmental justice communities, organizations, and leaders w… Continue Reading
09.21.22
Chair Grijalva Statement on Release of Bill Text for Dirty Permitting Rider
Washington, D.C. - House Natural Resources Committee Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) today issued the following statement on the release of text for Sen. Joe Manchin's (D-W.V.) permitting rider that is proposed to be included in the must-pass Continuing Resolution to fund the government. "To no one's surprise, this side deal looks just as dirty as it did when it was leaked last month-except without the American Petroleum Institute's watermark on it this time. But you can still see fossi… Continue Reading
09.20.22
House Passes Seven Natural Resources Committee Bills
Washington, D.C. - The House Committee on Natural Resources today announced House passage of seven Natural Resources bills under suspension of the rules: H.R. 820 (LaHood) New Philadelphia National Historical Site Act, as amended, to establish the New Philadelphia National Historical Park in the State of Illinois as a unit of the National Park System, and for other purposes. The bill passed by voice vote. H.R. 4009 (Norton) Enslaved Voyages Memorial Act, as amended, to authorize the Georget… Continue Reading