Raúl Grijalva: “The GAO report has mentioned many times about the rationale behind and the catalyst behind this particular legislation…”

“The GAO report has mentioned many times about the rationale behind and the catalyst behind this particular legislation; yet, the conclusion, which I agree with, is that we are not living up to our responsibilities as it applies to energy development on Indian land. But reading the recommendations, nowhere does it say that the solution to the problem is to gut NEPA or to stifle judicial recourse. Instead, the recommendations talk about resources that are needed by Indian Country to successfully fulfill their obligations and responsibilities to their members. It talks about staffing shortages, outdated mapping systems, and the need to ensure that the BIA can provide support to the tribes on energy programs. These are things the BIA has asked for in their budget and that the President's budget sent over has requested time and time again. Funding these requests go unheeded by this majority. So it is disingenuous, as the majority does time and time again, to starve an agency or a program of needed funding and then to complain that that agency program is ineffective.…”