On the recordFebruary 26, 2021
I thank the gentleman and I also thank the chairman of the Committee on Natural Resources and my fellow Arizonan, dean of our delegation, Congressman Raul Grijalva, for their leadership. Mr. Speaker, when people think of Arizona, they think of our Grand Canyon--perfectly chiseled over millions of years by the Colorado River. Its beauty and scale are humbling. But to us, it represents so much more than a natural wonder. The Grand Canyon National Park welcomes 6 million visitors a year. It is the cornerstone of our State's tourism industry, directly supporting almost 10,000 jobs. Though it is special to all, it is sacred to the indigenous communities who call it home and who know better than anyone how critical it is to protect. It is simple: This is no place for uranium mining. We can't risk the health of the communities that rely on this land and water or the delicate ecosystems it contains. We cannot improve upon this wonder, and we should not play a part in its destruction. Mr. Speaker, I support protecting the Grand Canyon, and I am proud of the vote we will take later today to safeguard it for future generations.





