Raúl Grijalva: “I thank the gentleman. I rise in opposition to House Resolution 333. The Interior Appropriations bill is a disaster, not…”

“I thank the gentleman. I rise in opposition to House Resolution 333. The Interior Appropriations bill is a disaster, not only because it would continue the pattern of underfunding core Department of Interior programs and ignoring climate change, but also because it is littered with partisan legislative riders that don't belong in an appropriations bill. This rule does nothing to improve the bill, and even includes waivers to protect these illegitimate riders. Republicans make the rules, but through this appropriations bill, they seek to break their own rules and sneak significant legislative changes into this spending bill. The riders protected by this rule would make species extinction more likely, close the courthouse door to American citizens, and grease the wheels for Big Business to make private profits from public resources. These are all terrible ideas, but they are terrible ideas that should be considered in the Natural Resources Committee, not snuck into an Interior spending bill. I have the honor of serving as the ranking member of the Natural Resources Committee, and I would tell my colleagues: we have hearing rooms and a full staff, and if you support delisting endangered species or prohibiting judicial review of resource decisions or giving away public resources to wealthy companies, you should put your name on a bill and come over to 1324 in the Longworth Building for a hearing.…”