Republicans slam Dems for abruptly postponing key hearing where Interior secretary set to testify

FIRST ON FOX: A prime Home Republican strongly criticized Democratic management Thursday for abruptly suspending a listening to wherein Inside Secretary Deb Haaland was set to testify.

Rep. Bruce Westerman, R-Ark., the GOP chief on the Pure Assets Committee, wrote to Chairman Raul Grijalva, D-Ariz., criticizing the Democratic chief for stopping “a lot wanted transparency” into the Division of the Inside’s (DOI) decision-making course of. The listening to was slated to be Haaland’s first look earlier than a Home committee this yr and first earlier than the Pure Assets panel in 14 months.

“How can our committee perform important oversight if administration officers gained’t even come to Congress to reply questions?” Westerman instructed Fox Information Digital in an announcement. “It’s unacceptable that Secretary Haaland has not appeared earlier than the Pure Assets Committee since June of 2021.”

“All the things from skyrocketing vitality prices to the environmental impacts of unlawful immigration to western drought to catastrophic wildfire falls below DOI’s purview, and the truth that Secretary Haaland hasn’t appeared to reply for this administration’s failed insurance policies this yr is extraordinarily telling,” he continued. “Chair Grijalva wants to right away reschedule this cancelled listening to.”

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The listening to, which was scheduled for Thursday, has been indefinitely postponed and changed with a markup listening to.

In his letter, Westerman famous Grijalva’s earlier feedback to the Trump administration stating that transparency is “elementary to good governance and accountability.” In February 2019, Grijalva and former Rep. TJ Cox, D-Calif., penned a letter to former Inside Secretary David Bernhardt demanding extra data on closed-door administration conferences.

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The Arkansas Republican added that committee Democrats are seemingly shielding Haaland from answering robust questions regardless of Grijalva’s previous rhetoric. He mentioned the DOI has repeatedly failed to completely reply to Congressional inquiries.

Inside Secretary Deb Haaland testifies earlier than a Senate Committee on Vitality and Pure Assets on Feb. 24, 2021.
(Sarah Silbiger/Pool by way of AP)

“Secretary Haaland ought to seem earlier than this Committee to reply for the selections her company makes, and we sit up for the immediate rescheduling of the postponed listening to,” Westerman wrote to Grijalva.

“The American folks deserve to listen to immediately from the Secretary as to why the Biden administration refuses to unleash our home vitality assets, implements poor federal lands administration methods, and appeases environmental activist teams on the taxpayers’ expense,” he concluded.

Grijalva’s workplace didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark.