Today, House Committee on Natural Resources Ranking Member Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.) led the committee's Republican leadership in a letter urging Chairman Raúl Grijalva (D-Ariz.) to postpone the upcoming full committee markup in light of the urgent crises facing Americans. In part, the members wrote:

"We have grave concerns about the extremely partisan budget reconciliation package slated for consideration, as it will attack safe and reliable American energy production, resurrect arcane work programs at a time when employers are already struggling to get people back into the workforce, pile insurmountable debt on future generations, make the U.S. more dependent on foreign adversaries like China, and hamstring our recovering economy. For these and many other reasons, we stand ready to oppose this egregious display of party politics.

"However, this week is not the time for the committee’s majority to be advancing partisan wish lists. Thousands of Afghan refugees are arriving to the U.S. daily with no long-term resettlement plan. Hurricane Ida is ravaging the Gulf Coast. Wildfires are decimating vast swaths of our country, destroying homes, property, and wildlife habitats. A humanitarian, public safety and environmental crisis continues to rage as a result of this administration’s failure to secure our southern border. America is facing crises both at home and abroad, yet Congress is nowhere to be found. It is past time for us to come back to D.C. and tackle the critical needs of our country. 

"We cannot address these issues if we are bogged down in a morass of reckless spending. This is why we are calling on you to postpone the committee’s markup until the crises facing our nation today are resolved. Throughout American history, this body has risen to the occasion and seen our country through the most trying of times. With proper leadership, there’s no reason we can’t do it again. Americans at risk, both at home and abroad, deserve nothing less."

Read the full letter here.