As climate change and immigration lead priorities for the new House Democratic majority, Rep. Raúl M. Grijalva may just be the man for the moment.

The question however is: Did Grijalva find this moment or did the moment finally find him?

“It took time,” the Arizona Democrat said. “I think people have come to the conclusion that one has to look beyond the obvious and understand that [on] environmental issues, particular to climate change, we’re all in the same boat.”

The 70-year-old son of a Mexican immigrant, Grijalva is the new chairman of the House Natural Resources Committee. With it comes a platform to focus public attention, and legislation, on public lands and environmental issues with a progressive bent and a consideration of racial justice.

His committee’s first major hearing will be on the effect of climate change on public lands, Grijalva said. He also expects to hold hearings on the environmental complications of President Donald Trump’s proposed border wall and has staked out a big policy fight by vowing to try to reauthorize the nation’s fishery laws, where climate change impacts will be an issue.

Republicans on the often-contentious committee likely will oppose many of Grijalva’s initiatives, and a Republican Senate majority, not to mention Trump, will stand in the way.

But environmental groups are excited about Grijalva.

“Congressman Grijalva is without a doubt one of conservation’s biggest champions on Capitol Hill,” said Alex Taurel, conservation program director for the League of Conservation Voters.

“He’s an authentically progressive American who does not in any way imbibe Beltway values,” Maryland Democratic Rep. Jamie Raskin said. “He doesn’t speak bureaucratese.”

Rep. Jared Huffman, the California Democrat likely to chair the committee’s Water, Power and Oceans Subcommittee, who is also working on the fishery legislation, said he finds Grijalva “almost like a poet philosopher in his wisdom.”

Grijalva, who co-chaired the Congressional Progressive Caucus for 10 years, sits squarely to the left politically of the chairmen of the two other House committees with jurisdiction over climate issues: Reps. Frank Pallone Jr. of New Jersey at House Energy and Commerce, and Peter A. DeFazio of Oregon at Transportation and Infrastructure.

His progressive allies describe him as a “true believer” on environmental issues who can be trusted to advance bold legislation now that the Democrats’ planned select committee on climate change will have no legislative authority.

“I trust Grijalva by a mile over the others,” California Democrat Ro Khanna said. “By far. It’s not even close.”

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Source: Roll Call – Jan 7, 2019
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