Raúl Grijalva: “I believe I have made it very clear that this bill is deeply flawed from the concept to execution. While I really do…”

“I believe I have made it very clear that this bill is deeply flawed from the concept to execution. While I really do hesitate to improve a bad bill, I think it is important that we acknowledge one of the bill's starkest omissions. My amendment would simply require that while developing the plan this bill proposes, the relevant Secretaries also develop a plan to consult with Tribal Governments. This is particularly important as the bill could open up an additional 300 million acres of new oil and gas extraction on public lands. If we really intend to give away an area three times the size of California to Big Oil, then we need to understand the impact it will have on communities across the West starting with those who have stewarded these lands since time immemorial. It is essential that the Secretaries fully and meaningfully consult with Tribal Governments to understand the impact this extractive development would have on Tribal communities from damaging air and water to destroying sacred sites. For too long, Tribal Governments have been excluded from Federal decisionmaking processes. We have seen the impact of that omission as homelands are degraded, sacred sites destroyed, and Tribal communities are forced to bear the brunt of pollution.…”