Haaland Statement on Passing of Representative Grijalva

Albuquerque, N.M. – Deb Haaland, former U.S. Representative for New Mexico’s first congressional district, released the following statement on the passing of U.S. Representative Raúl Grijalva.

“Mr. Grijalva was one of my mentors and a compassionate leader. He was unwavering in his work to protect our air, land and water, and a powerful advocate for Tribal communities everywhere. I will miss his keen sense of humor and astute way of ‘telling it like it is’. My heart goes out to his loved ones, friends, and our fellow colleagues who served alongside him,” said Haaland.

Haaland served as chair of the House Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests, and Public Lands, under then-chair of the House Natural Resources Committee Raúl Grijalva during her tenure in the U.S. House of Representatives. Grijalva was a staunch advocate of Haaland when she was in consideration for the Secretary of the Interior post and during her time at the Department of the Interior, they worked side by side to protect lands surrounding the Grand Canyon, increase infrastructure funding, and secure future water resources for drought stricken states.