House approves measures limiting protections for endangered species.
The House of Representatives Passes Resolutions to Override Wildlife Protections
The House of Representatives made a bold move on Thursday by passing two resolutions that challenge the Fish and Wildlife Service’s rules aimed at protecting endangered species. This decision has set the stage for a potential clash with the White House, as President Joe Biden has threatened to veto these measures.
In a vote that largely followed party lines, the House decided to curtail protections for two species: the northern long-eared bat and the lesser prairie chicken. These species were previously classified as “endangered” under the Endangered Species Act. The resolutions, brought under the Congressional Review Act, passed with a vote of 221-206 for the lesser prairie chicken and 220-209 for the northern long-eared bat.
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Now, these resolutions will make their way to the White House, where President Biden has expressed his intention to veto them, as stated in the administration’s policy.
The Fish and Wildlife Service had designated the northern long-eared bat and the lesser prairie chicken as ”endangered” last November. However, Republicans viewed this move as a threat to infrastructure development and an example of government overreach.
During the floor debate, Representative Bruce Westerman (R-AR), the chairman of the House Committee on Natural Resources, argued in favor of the disapproval resolution. He claimed that listing the lesser prairie chicken as “endangered” in certain areas where they reside poses a threat to oil and gas production. These areas are in close proximity to some of the largest oil and gas production sites in the country.
“This is a tool for the Fish and Wildlife to go implement the Biden administration’s none-of-the-above energy policy,” Westerman stated. “It’s another attack on low-cost energy for the American taxpayers.”
Westerman also opposed the ”endangered” listing of the northern long-eared bat, citing the species’ vulnerability to white-nose syndrome, an invasive disease that has decimated bat populations.
According to Westerman, designating the species as endangered would only lead to increased bureaucratic red tape for critical infrastructure and forest management projects.
On the other side of the aisle, Democrats criticized the Republican efforts as the House prepared for its six-week-long August recess.
“Today, Republicans have decided that the most important thing they could do before we leave for six weeks would be a couple of resolutions to kill off the lesser prairie chicken and the northern long-eared bat,” said Representative Raul Grijalva (D-AZ), the top Democrat on the Natural Resources Committee.
The Republican push to “modernize” the Endangered Species Act, a law enacted in 1973 to protect and conserve species at risk of extinction, comes as the party aims to address what they perceive as outdated regulations hindering agricultural and industrial development.
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