Lawmakers show bipartisan irritation with Interior over withheld documents

Bipartisan dissatisfaction with the Department of the Interior was on display Thursday as lawmakers on the House Natural Resources Committee probed the difficulties they’ve faced in getting information on department business. Chairman Raul Grijalva has said he is eager to subpoena Interior for documents if they do not begin to comply with the committee’s requests. And the Arizona Democrat said Thursday the subpoena process could begin within a week, unless Interior can turn over a detailed timetable for releasing all the documents the committee has sought. If Interior complies, the committee could gain insight into a host of ethical issues plaguing the department, as well as documents tied to a recent decision to relocate the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). Lawmakers used screens in the hearing room to flash fully redacted pages, blurred images, and examples where the committee was given limited versions of documents that were given to other requesters in full. Grijalva said of the 24 requests sent to Interior, only three of the responses have provided enough information to be deemed satisfactory...MORE