Raúl Grijalva: “When the government offers up public land for an oil and gas lease sale, the public has a right to challenge the…”

“When the government offers up public land for an oil and gas lease sale, the public has a right to challenge the agency's decision. Challenges can be for any number of reasons, from concerns about air or water, harming cultural heritage, threatening wildlife, or hurting recreational or agricultural businesses in the area. The polluters over people act puts an arbitrary time limit on these challenges, saying that any claim must be resolved within 60 days so the agency can get on with issuing the leases. If these challenges have merit, they should be fully considered. The arbitrary deadline shuts the American people out of the decisionmaking process. This amendment would restore the American people's voice on how their public lands are used. Madam Chair, I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes,'' and I reserve the balance of my time.”