Flagstaff – April 7, 2008 – U.S. Rep. Raul M. Grijalva has enthusiastically endorsed Howard Shanker, a Democratic candidate for Congress from Arizona’s First District, the seat currently held by Rick Renzi who will not be running in the next election.  Congressman Grijalva is a member of the Committee on Education and Labor, as well as the Committee on Natural Resources, where he has been appointed Chairman of the National Parks, Forests and Public Lands Subcommittee.  The Subcommittee oversees millions of acres of federal land, wilderness protection throughout the West, and oversight of the operations of our national parks, forests, and public lands systems.

According to Congressman Grijalva, “Howard’s understanding of the issues facing you in the geographically largest and highly diverse congressional district in Arizona is unsurpassed. I look forward to working with Howard in Congress. His leadership and advocacy will bring quality, ethical, representation to Arizona’s Congressional District One.  I am proud to endorse Howard Shanker.”

In his statement of support issued over the weekend, Congressman Grijalva further acknowledged that, “Howard Shanker is a champion for the people” and that Shanker has “a proven track record.”  Grijalva reiterated the fact that Howard Shanker “has been a stalwart fighter for protection of Arizona’s environmental and cultural legacies.”

Shanker, who has fought to protect our communities, our environment, and our quality of life in Arizona for over a decade, stated, “I am honored to receive the endorsement of Rep. Grijalva. Congressman Grijalva is a true leader in Congress, that is willing to stand up for what is right, not just what is expedient. I look forward to working with him in Washington.”

Both Shanker and Grijalva have waged a longstanding struggle to protect the quality of life for Arizonan’s, as well as the State’s open spaces.  As an attorney, Shanker successfully fought to save the Grand Canyon from a land exchange that would have promoted large scale commercial development that would have negatively impacted the canyon, as well as the economies of Flagstaff, Tusayon, and Williams. Shanker created precedent for the protection of desert washes.  He is also one of the attorneys on the case that recently kept the Desert Nesting Bald Eagle from being taken off of the endangered species list.  Shanker has also been an advocate for the protection of the Verde River, the San Pedro River, and Oak Creek.

Shanker currently represents the Navajo Nation, the Yavapai-Apache Nation, the White Mountain Apache Tribe, the Havasupai Tribe, the Sierra Club, the Center for Biological Diversity, and others, in the case that is fighting to keep the federal government from allowing the use of reclaimed sewer to make snow on the San Francisco Peaks.  Shanker, who argued the case in front of an en banc court of the Ninth Circuit in December, has distinguished himself as a leader in the fight to protect holy and sacred sites.  Shanker also represents the Navajo Nation on uranium contamination issues.  In November, Shanker accompanied a delegation of Navajo who were testifying in front of Congress on the ravages of uranium contamination on the Navajo Nation.  On April 15, Shanker will be the keynote speaker for the Navajo Nation in Window Rock for their Environmental Days celebration.

Shanker, who received his law degree from Georgetown University in Washington D.C while working for the U.S. Department of Justice, and who was appointed by President Clinton to serve a three-year term on the National Environmental Justice Advisory Council, Enforcement Subcommittee, has a record of legal activism on issues important to Arizona, that is unmatched by any other candidate in the CD-1 race.  To learn more about Howard Shanker and his campaign, go to www.Shanker2008.com.  Campaign news is also available at www.myspace.com/HowardShanker.

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