CONTACT
Jesse Prentice-Dunn, Policy Director
Center for Western Priorities
jesse@westernpriorities.org
720-204-1886
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 12, 2020
DENVER—Today, a vote in the House Natural Resources Committee granted Chairman Raul Grijalva the authority to issue subpoenas for information from the Interior Department and its agencies. Unlike many House committees, the Natural Resources Committee chairman is not automatically given subpoena power; that authority requires a vote. In response, the Center for Western Priorities issued the following statement from Policy Director Jesse Prentice-Dunn:
“Since taking office, Interior Secretary Bernhardt has welcomed drilling and mining executives with open arms while doing everything in his power to keep the public in the dark. Today’s vote is a welcome step towards holding Bernhardt accountable for his extreme lack of transparency.
“The Interior Department is responsible for managing our parks and public lands for all Americans, not just extractive industries. However, Secretary Bernhardt has ignored overwhelming public opposition to his drill everywhere agenda, forcing through policy changes favored by drilling and mining companies and forcing out career public land managers.
“Hopefully Congressional oversight can shine a spotlight on the Trump administration’s extreme efforts to grant the policy wishes of corporations, rather than conserve our public lands for future generations.”
For more information, visit westernpriorities.org. To speak with an expert on public lands, contact Jesse Prentice-Dunn at 720-204-1886 or jesse@westernpriorities.org. Sign up for Look West to get daily public lands and energy news sent to your inbox.
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According to Chairman Grijalva, Interior officials have failed to comply with requests for information and top officials have failed to appear at hearings before the committee after being called upon. Grijalva has signaled he intends to gather additional information related to the recent relocation of the Bureau of Land Management headquarters to Grand Junction, Colorado.