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Congressman Raúl Grijalva, Defender of Working People and Planet, Dead at 77
"Rep. Grijalva fought a long and brave battle," his staff said. "He passed away this morning due to complications of his cancer treatments."
Mar 13, 2025
Condolences and remembrances swiftly mounted on Thursday after the staff of U.S. Congressman Raúl Grijalva announced that the Arizona Democrat died at the age of 77, following a fight with lung cancer.
"Rep. Grijalva fought a long and brave battle. He passed away this morning due to complications of his cancer treatments," according to the office of the late congressman, who announced his diagnosis last April.
Grijalva, who represented Arizona's 7th District, was first elected to Congress in 2002. While on Capitol Hill, he rose to leadership roles, including co-chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus and chair of the House Natural Resources Committee.
"From permanently protecting the Grand Canyon for future generations to strengthening the Affordable Care Act, his proudest moments in Congress have always been guided by community voices," Grijalva's staff said. "He led the charge for historic investments in climate action, port of entry modernization, permanent funding for land and water conservation programs, access to healthcare for tribal communities and the uninsured, fairness for immigrant families and Dreamers, student loan forgiveness, stronger protections for farmers and workers exposed to extreme heat, early childhood education expansion, higher standards for tribal consultation, and so much more."
"From Tucson to Nogales and beyond, he worked tirelessly for transformational improvements. Rep. Grijalva pushed for new public parks, childcare centers, healthcare clinics, local businesses, and affordable housing [that] breathed new life into neighborhoods across Southern Arizona. Improvements to our roads, bridges, and streetcar system have improved our daily lives and attracted new businesses and industries to the area," the office added. "Rep. Grijalva's passion was not only for his community, but for preservation of the planet."
Grijalva's colleagues also highlighted key parts of his legacy. Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.), a former House member, said that "I am heartbroken by the news of Congressman Raúl Grijalva's passing. For climate justice, economic justice, health justice—Raúl fought fearlessly for change. We served a decade together on the Natural Resources Committee, and I will forever be grateful for his leadership and partnership."
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), who also previously served in the lower chamber, said that "I mourn the death of Rep. Raúl Grijalva, a former colleague of mine and one of the most progressive members of the U.S. House. Raúl was a fighter for working families throughout his entire life. He will be sorely missed."
Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) called his death "a genuinely devastating loss," adding: "Raúl Grijalva stood as one of the biggest champions for working people in all of Congress. His leadership was singular. He mentored generously and was an incredible friend. I will always be grateful for his lifelong courage and commitment."
Rep. Delia Ramirez (D-Ill.) said that "today we lost a dedicated progressive leader in Raúl Grijalva. The son of a bracero, Rep. Grijalva's 12-term commitment to our environment, to immigrant communities, and to his constituents in Tucson enriched this country. His passing is a monumental loss for our caucus and communities."
Congressman Maxwell Alejandro Frost (D-Fla.) wrote: "Wow. This is such a loss for Arizona and our country. Chair Raúl Grijalva has been a champion for progressive change his entire life. From the school board to Congress, his leadership and voice inspired so many. Myself included. Rest in power, Chairman Grijalva."
Rep. Yassamin Ansari (D-Ariz.), elected to Congress in November, said that "I'm devastated to hear of the passing of my colleague Raúl Grijalva. He was a fighter for Arizonans and a champion for Indigenous communities and our planet. We will all miss him dearly. My thoughts are with his family, friends, loved ones, and constituents."
Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), who switched chambers after the last election, said that "Congressman Grijalva was not just my colleague, but my friend. As another Latino working in public service, I can say from experience that he served as a role model to many young people across the Grand Canyon State. He spent his life as a voice for equality."
"In Congress, I was proud to see firsthand his leadership as chairman of the House Natural Resources Committee as he stood up for Arizona's water rights, natural beauty, and tribes," Gallego added. "I am praying for his family during this time of grief, and I hope that they find comfort knowing his legacy is one that will stand tall for generations."
Advocacy group leaders also weighed in, with Kierán Suckling, executive director and founder of the Center for Biological Diversity, calling his death "a heartbreaking, devastating loss for the people of Southern Arizona and everyone around this nation who loves the natural world."
"Raúl was a great friend and partner in our fight for clean air and water, our beautiful public lands, and wildlife great and small," Suckling said. "We can all look to him as the model of what every member of Congress and every person of dignity and hope should aspire to be."
"From Mexican wolves to spotted owls to the New Mexico meadow jumping mouse, every creature in this country had a friend in Raúl," Suckling added. "He was as fierce as a jaguar, and that's why we called him our Macho G. I'll miss him dearly."
According toKVOA, the NBC affiliate in Tucson, Grijalva's office "will continue providing constituent services during the special election" to fill his seat.
Grijalva's death follows that of Congressman Sylvester Turner (D-Texas), who died on March 5. His seat will also need to be filled by a special election.
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'Wow! Watch This.' Ranking Dem Rips GOP Refusal to Probe Trump-Musk Push to Privatize Social Security
"This is the energy we need," one podcaster said of Rep. John Larson's impassioned remarks.
Mar 13, 2025
"This is how mad everyone should be."
That's how one social media user responded to a video clip in which Rep. John Larson (D-Conn.) "goes off" on Republican members of the U.S. House Ways and Means Committee, who on Wednesday voted down his resolution of inquiry requesting that President Donald Trump provide certain information relating to the administration's attacks on the Social Security Administration since Inauguration Day.
Larson, ranking member of the Social Security Subcommittee, specifically wants materials involving the agency and Trump's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), led by billionaire Elon Musk—whose recent remarks about cutting up to $700 billion in "waste and fraud" in "entitlement spending" have elevated warnings that the administration is working to privatize Social Security.
"Where's Elon Musk? ...If he's so great, if these plans and all the fraud and abuse that he found are so eminent, why isn't he here explaining it?"
It is "a sad morning, a very sad morning, when this committee, the oldest and most continuous in the Congress, neglects its responsibility and essentially holds this hearing today to block any further discussion," Larson said with his arms crossed.
"The men and women on this committee are good people—they're honest and caring people—and that's why I do not understand why you would relegate this committee to no longer being of significance and resort to saying you will do whatever Elon Musk and Donald Trump tell you to do," he continued, raising his voice. "Where's the independence of the committee? Where's the legislature? We're an equal branch of government."
Gesturing to empty seats, Larson asked: "Where's Elon Musk? I'm sure he's a genius, and is a very credible person because of the wealth he's accumulated, but that does not put him above the law or the responsibility to come before this committee and this Congress. If he's so great, if these plans and all the fraud and abuse that he found are so eminent, why isn't he here explaining it?"
"You know why, 'cause he's out to privatize Social Security," charged Larson, a longtime defender of the program. "He's been on television the last couple of days, talking exactly about Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid and what he intends to do."
Clips of Larson's tirade sparked enthusiastic responses on social media, including Musk-owned X. One user said: "Wow! Watch this." Another declared, "THIS IS STRAIGHT FUCKING FIRE!!!"
Advocacy groups including Social Security Works and the National Committee to Preserve Social Security & Medicare also promoted Larson's comments online.
Progressive podcaster Brian Tyler Cohen suggested that other critics of the Republican agenda should follow Larson's lead, saying, "This is the energy we need."
As CT Insiderreported Wednesday:
Bette Marafino, president of the Connecticut Alliance for Retired Americans, said Wednesday she is "horrified" by the Trump administration's rhetoric around Social Security, including baseless claims about long-dead people collecting benefits.
Marafino, 86, recalled her grandmother telling of visits to decrepit poorhouses, where poor Americans, many of them elderly, used to live in the days before Social Security and other safety net programs.
"If they get rid of Social Security or privatize it, which is what I think they want to do, what's going to happen?" Marafino said. "What's going to happen to so many people who only rely on Social Security?"
Larson dressed down the panel's Republicans after leading a letter—signed by over 150 House Democrats—to acting Social Security Administration Commissioner Leland Dudek last week arguing that office closures and layoffs "will devastate SSA's ability to serve the public and deliver Social Security payments, inflicting backdoor benefit cuts on the American people."
In addition to blocking Larson's resolution regarding what the congressman called Trump and Musk's "hostile takeover of Social Security," Republicans on the committee opposed another directing the president and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to turn over documents about DOGE's access to department payment systems and confidential taxpayer information.
Meanwhile, in the upper chamber, Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) on Wednesday led a letter urging Chair Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) to immediately convene a hearing "to investigate alarming
developments" at the SSA, including Dudek giving DOGE "unfettered access to Americans' most sensitive information."
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Trump Tariffs Show GOP Aims to Make Working Class Fund 'Payday for Billionaires and Giant Corporations'
One critic said the party's "top priority is making working- and middle-class families pay more for healthcare, lifesaving medications, food, cars, and electronics, all to fund more tax breaks for the ultrawealthy."
Feb 19, 2025
The national campaign Unrig Our Economy said Wednesday that U.S. President Donald Trump's promise of tariffs targeting the automobile industry, pharmaceuticals, and semiconductor chips is just the latest evidence that elected Republicans are prioritizing megarich individuals and corporations, not working people.
"This action is further proof that Republicans' top priority is making working- and middle-class families pay more for healthcare, lifesaving medications, food, cars, and electronics, all to fund more tax breaks for the ultrawealthy," said Unrig Our Economy spokesperson Kobie Christian in a statement.
The statement followed Trump discussing the forthcoming tariffs with reporters on Tuesday at his Florida residence, Mar-a-Lago. Bloomberg's Hadriana Lowenkron asked about his plans for new taxes on imports.
For the auto industry, "I probably will tell you that on April 2, but it'll be in the neighborhood of 25%," Trump said. For pharmaceuticals and semiconductors, he added, "it'll be 25% and higher, and it'll go very substantially higher over course of a year," giving those industries some time to set up U.S. factories to avoid the tariffs.
On April 1, "members of his Cabinet are due to deliver reports to him outlining options for a range of import duties as he seeks to reshape global trade," Reutersreported.
Trump's 10% tariff for imports from China has taken effect, but his 25% tariffs targeting Canada and Mexico have been delayed.
David Greene, an industry analyst at Cars.com, toldCNN that "if the administration moves forward with a 25% tariff on all auto imports, car shoppers should get ready for some sticker shock at dealerships."
"If new car prices increase, more buyers will shift toward used vehicles, and as demand rises, so will prices," Greene said.
The president's latest comments on tariffs came after Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives last week advanced out of committee a budget plan that would cut healthcare and food assistance programs to fund tax giveaways for the rich.
The Economic Policy Institute last week released a report detailing how extending the expiring provisions from the tax law that Republican lawmakers passed and Trump signed in 2017 "will have painful trade-offs for the U.S. economy and most Americans."
Christian said Wednesday that "even as the cost of everyday goods continues to rise and Trump and the billionaires in his administration arbitrarily cut programs that help feed children and seniors, Republicans in Congress are still pushing forward an agenda that would give billions in handouts to the wealthiest few, while leaving the rest of us behind."
"Our representatives in Congress need to look out for their constituents," the spokesperson added, "instead of prioritizing cost-raising tariffs to bankroll a massive payday for billionaires and giant corporations."
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