Raúl Grijalva: “This amendment is not a good faith effort to protect Native communities, minorities, or women. It is simply a ``gotcha''…”

“This amendment is not a good faith effort to protect Native communities, minorities, or women. It is simply a ``gotcha'' amendment intended to kill the bill. It is truly insulting that our colleagues across the aisle would try and use Native communities as pawns to kill this proposal, knowing full well that Native people have too often had to bear the brunt of uranium's toxic impacts. On the Navajo Nation, there are hundreds of abandoned uranium mines waiting to be cleaned up. These toxic sites pollute water and damage public health. A recent study found dozens of contaminated water sources on the Navajo Nation, and nearly one-quarter of the residents had elevated uranium levels in their health screenings. The Havasupai fear this same danger for their community. They live downstream of the Canyon Mine and of other proposed mines, and they worry that they, too, will be forced to bear that toxic burden. That is why the Havasupai, the Navajo Nation, the National Congress of American Indians, and the Inter Tribal Association of Arizona, along with other regional Tribes, all support a permanent withdrawal. These indigenous voices are not props at a press conference. They are not quaint or docile. They are smart and passionate advocates for their people, for the situation now, and, more importantly, for future generations to come. They deserve our respect. Anything less, I think, crosses a line. Republicans aren't lifting these Native voices.…”