| At today’s House Natural Resources Committee organizational meeting, Democrats plan to protest the decision of Chairman Rob Bishop (R-Utah) to shake up the panel’s subcommittee structure, ranking member Raúl Grijalva (D-Ariz.) said yesterday.
“We’re going to challenge it,” Grijalva told E&E Daily of Bishop’s move to dissolve the Fisheries, Wildlife, Oceans and Insular Affairs Subcommittee and spread its responsibilities among three remaining panels. The new chairman also created a subcommittee to focus on oversight and government reform (E&E Daily, Jan. 6).
Democrats are particularly concerned by Bishop’s move to combine oversight of federal policy in U.S. territories and freely associated states with oversight of American Indian and Alaska Native policies. “We think those committees should be separated — insular affairs and Native American affairs,” Grijalva said.
The Arizona Democrat yesterday named Gregorio Sablan, the delegate representing the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, as his vice ranking member in part “to highlight the insular areas as important to Democrats and important to the Resources Committee,” Grijalva said. The position also keeps Sablan “in a good position to deal with all the insular affairs issues that come up, which all the delegates want,” he added.
The vice ranking member position is a promotion for Sablan, who last session served as ranking member on the now-disbanded Fisheries, Wildlife, Oceans and Insular Affairs Subcommittee.
Jurisdiction of ocean-related issues will now fall under the Subcommittee on Water, Power and Oceans. Grijalva said he chose Rep. Jared Huffman of California to lead Democrats on that panel with the blessing of the more senior Democratic committee member, Rep. Grace Napolitano of California, who was ranking member last session of what was then the Water and Power Subcommittee.
“I am honored that my colleagues have supported me for this important position, and grateful to Ranking Member Grijalva and outgoing Ranking Member Napolitano for their leadership,” Huffman said in a press release announcing the changes. He suggested that the subcommittee should work “to restore fisheries, improve West-wide water supply reliability, and protect our coastline.”
Grijalva also elevated Rep. Raul Ruiz (D-Calif.) to the ranking member spot on the Subcommittee on Indian, Insular and Alaska Native Affairs. Democrats on a previous iteration of that subcommittee were led by former Rep. Colleen Hanabusa of Hawaii, who campaigned unsuccessfully in 2014 for Senate.
Ruiz pledged to “work with my Democratic and Republican colleagues to find real solutions to issues facing our tribes like improving health care, education and economic growth, while vigilantly supporting the sovereignty of all the nations of Indian Country.”
The Subcommittee on Federal Lands will also have a new ranking member. Rep. Niki Tsongas of Massachusetts replaces Grijalva, who led it when it was known as the Subcommittee on Public Lands and Environmental Regulations.
Tsongas said in the release that she looks “forward to using this opportunity to work across the aisle for the preservation and growth of all the diverse, beautiful and historic lands spread across our great nation.”
Rep. Alan Lowenthal of California will replace former Rep. Rush Holt of New Jersey as the top Democrat on the Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources.
As ranking member, Lowenthal said he “will help focus our efforts on renewable energy development, climate change, and the safe and responsible development of resources on our public lands.”
And Democrats on the new Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations will be led by freshman Rep. Debbie Dingell of Michigan.
“It’s new faces for what’s ahead,” Grijalva said. He has not yet decided on where to assign the two additional Democrats that the party’s Steering and Policy Committee plans to send to the Natural Resources Committee.
The full Democratic membership is:
Water, Power and Oceans Subcommittee
- Jared Huffman, ranking member (Calif.)
- Grace Napolitano (Calif.)
- Jim Costa (Calif.)
- Ruben Gallego (Ariz.)
- Madeleine Bordallo (Guam)
- Gregorio Sablan (Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands)
- Raul Ruiz (Calif.)
- Alan Lowenthal (Calif.)
- Norma Torres (Calif.)
- Debbie Dingell (Mich.)
Indian, Insular and Alaska Native Affairs Subcommittee
- Raul Ruiz, ranking member (Calif.)
- Madeleine Bordallo (Guam)
- Gregorio Sablan (Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands)
- Pedro Pierluisi (Puerto Rico)
- Norma Torres (Calif.)
Federal Lands Subcommittee
- Niki Tsongas, ranking member (Mass.)
- Matt Cartwright (Pa.)
- Don Beyer (Va.)
- Pedro Pierluisi (Puerto Rico)
- Jared Huffman (Calif.)
- Mark Takai (Hawaii)
- Alan Lowenthal (Calif.)
- Debbie Dingell (Mich.)
Energy & Mineral Resources Subcommittee
- Alan Lowenthal, ranking member (Calif.)
- Mark Takai (Hawaii)
- Jim Costa (Calif.)
- Niki Tsongas (Mass.)
- Matt Cartwright (Pa.)
- Don Beyer (Va.)
- Ruben Gallego (Ariz.)
Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee
- Debbie Dingell, ranking member (Mich.)
- Jared Huffman (Calif.)
- Ruben Gallego (Ariz.)
- Don Beyer (Va.)
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