Chair Grijalva Statement on Exclusion of Dirty Permitting Rider from Must-Pass Defense Bill

Press Release

House Natural Resources Committee Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) today issued the following statement on the permitting related provisions being excluded from the must-pass FY 2023 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA):

"Thanks to the hard-fought persistence and vocal opposition of environmental justice communities all across the country, the Dirty Deal has finally been laid to rest," Chair Grijalva said. "House Democrats can now close out the year having made historic progress on climate change without this ugly asterisk. Of course, we still have much more work to do to bring justice to those communities who are continuing to bear the brunt of climate change, but I'm at least glad we're not taking a step backwards today."

On Dec. 5, more than 750 frontline communities, environmental justice groups, and allied organizations sent a letter to Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) voicing their opposition to the permitting rider. The executive directors of more than 20 environmental organizations also sent a letter today to President Biden, Speaker Pelosi, and Leader Schumer echoing the same opposition.

Chair Grijalva sent a letter on Nov. 21 to Speaker Pelosi and Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) emphasizing previously stated concerns about including permitting related provisions in must-pass legislation, namely NDAA or government funding legislation.

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