Agriculture, Climate, and Public Lands
As a member of the House Committee on Agriculture and Chair of the Blue Dog Special Task Force on Rural America, I'm focused on giving rural Arizonans and our ag producers a voice in Washington. Read more about my work below.
More on Agriculture, Climate, and Public Lands
PAGE—Today, Congressman Tom O’Halleran (AZ-01) announced that caseworkers in his district office had assisted Glen Canyon Conservancy in securing a $500,000 Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) needed to keep the non-profit serving Arizona families and protecting our precious public lands.
Clarification with SBA was handled by Keith Brekhus, O’Halleran’s District Director, and staff from the Office of Senator Kyrsten Sinema.
WASHINGTON— Congressman Tom O’Halleran (AZ-01) and Congressman Michael C. Burgess (TX-26) have introduced H.R. 4326, the Electric Vehicle Mobility Area Planning Act (EV MAP Act). The bill would create a $10 million grant program to assist localities and electric utilities to identify the locations for electric vehicle (EV) charging stations in their communities. The bill was previously introduced last Congress.
WASHINGTON—Today, Congressman Tom O’Halleran (AZ-01) voted to pass the Investing in a New Vision for the Environment and Surface Transportation (INVEST) in America Act, infrastructure legislation which includes funding for four projects in Arizona’s First District and two amendments O’Halleran secured for Indian Country. The bill makes transformational investments in America’s highways, roads, bridges, transit, rail, and water infrastructure to create jobs, modernize our infrastructure and reduce carbon pollution.
WASHINGTON—Today, Representatives Tom O’Halleran (D-AZ) and John Curtis (R-UT), members of the Bipartisan Wildfire Caucus, introduced the Wildland Fire Mitigation and Management Commission Act of 2021, bipartisan and bicameral legislation to establish a commission of federal and non-federal stakeholders—including city and county level representation—to study and recommend fire prevention, mitigation, management, and rehabilitation policies for forests and grasslands.
The U.S. Senate subcommittee on National Parks took testimony on a bill, Wednesday, that would make the Chiricahua National Monument in Cochise County a national park.
In the Senate, the proposal is sponsored by Arizona Senators Kyrsten Sinema and Mark Kelly.
Kelly told committee members that the change in designation has broad support.
“I also have a letter from the San Carlos Apache Tribe that wants to ensure the legislation would not open the park to mining or impact visitation by tribal members,” said Kelly.
So what do wildfires really cost?
Sure, the Forest Service now spends between $2 billion and $4 billion each year fighting fires. But how about the buildings the flames consume, the watersheds they destroy, the heat-trapping gases they waft into the atmosphere, the fatal asthma attacks they provoke and the economic dislocations they create?
Fact is, we’re not sure.
WASHINGTON – As the Mescal, Telegraph, Slate, Pinnacle, Salt, and Cornville fires burn in and near Arizona’s First Congressional District, Congressman Tom O’Halleran (AZ-01) urged constituents impacted by wildfires to contact his Arizona offices as they seek information and resources.
PAGE – U.S. Senators Mark Kelly and Kyrsten Sinema, along with Congressman Tom O’Halleran sent a letter to Col. James J. Handura at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on May 26.
Representatives at USACE said, “As Memorial Day approaches, it is imperative that boaters are able to access the marinas at Lake Powell.”
WASHINGTON – Today, during a Pro Forma session of Congress, Rep. Tom O’Halleran (D-AZ-01) led Reps. Doug LaMalfa (R-CA-01) and Jimmy Panetta (D-CA-20) in introducing bipartisan legislation that directs the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) and Department of Interior (DOI) to determine both the direct and indirect costs wildfires have on federal, state, and local governmental entities, as well as ag producers, property owners, evacuation centers, and more.