Raúl Grijalva

The Administration feels political pressure to complete at least portions of the wall before the 2020 election.

The Administration just has to choose not to eviscerate it.

There is no emergency rush to complete the wall across all 1,954 miles of the southern border.

The Administration is blasting through all of the legal protections that were carefully designed to protect the rights and interests of tribes as well as all other Americans.

Laws like the RESPECT Act would help to prevent the destruction of sacred sites from occurring again in the future.

We urge Congress to exert its authority to protect our sacred sites.

Preservation of the history and culture of the Tohono O'odham people is not just important to the Tohono O'odham Nation--it is important to the preservation of the history and culture of the United States as a whole.

The fact is that while the Federal agencies pay lip service to tribal consultation, there is precious little way for tribal governments to enforce current consultation policies.

The Federal Government owes our government, and the governments of the local communities and states around us, more respect.

Congress must withdraw or at least better limit DHS's authority to unilaterally give itself waivers.

DHS currently is giving little more than lip service to consultation.

I look forward to hearing from our witnesses today and getting some answers to why this Administration continues to treat tribes as second-class citizens.

As a country we should be completely appalled by the steps this Administration has taken to ensure the desecration of sacred sites.

It is clear this Administration will not uphold its trust responsibility for tribes.

The fact that the Federal Government is continuing to blast this area with human bone fragments of several tribes in the 21st century is barbarous.

When will you stop destroying sacred sites?

As a country, we should be completely appalled by the steps this Administration has taken to desecrate the sacred sites.

What would normally be considered a war crime for destroying cultural sites in another country is now considered status quo of this President and his administration and this needs to stop.

The fact that the Federal Government has continued to blast this area with human bone fragments of several tribes in the 21st century is, quite frankly, barbarous.

I am going to echo the sentiments of Chair Gallego by expressing my deep disappointment that the White House and the Department of Homeland Security did not send representatives in a timely manner.

These actions are disgusting as well as a flagrant violation of the requirement to consult with tribes.

When sacred cultural sites are destroyed in international conflict, it is considered a war crime.

The Administration's gaslighting argument of 'we have to destroy it, in order to protect it' is as plainly ridiculous as it is offensive.

I want to thank each and every one of you for being here today, and the meeting is adjourned.

This is going to require our Nation to lead again, and our Nation to take initiative.