05.20.16

Grijalva Celebrates Endangered Species Day by Telling GOP to Stop Attacks on Imperiled Wildlife

Washington, D.C. – House Natural Resources Committee Ranking Member Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) issued the following statement recognizing today as the 11th annual Endangered Species Day:

“The Endangered Species Act is one of our most powerful, successful, and popular conservation laws. It has prevented the extinction of nearly every species that has received its protections. Unfortunately, Congressional Republicans insist on continuing their crusade to drive the extinction of American wildlife one species at a time. This Congress, we have faced more than 100 separate legislative attempts to undermine the Endangered Species Act by delisting individual species or weakening the protections afforded all species by the Act. From loading up the Defense Bill with harmful riders the military doesn’t need or want to wrongly blaming species for droughts, floods, crime, and unemployment, House Republicans have made a mockery of science and embarrassed themselves in advancing the agenda of some in industry who can’t be bothered to play by the rules. Today, I call on my colleagues across the aisle to stop their assault on the Endangered Species Act and the species it protects, and instead work with me to move these species toward recovery.”

As Ranking Member, Grijalva has drawn new attention and support to the Endangered Species Act (ESA). He has worked with the White House and the Interior Department to strengthen the Obama Administration’s stance against harmful legislation, and last year convened a roundtable of stakeholders to discuss defense of and improvements to the Act. More recently, he has organized a series of widely attended expert panel briefings on a wide range of ESA-related topics, including this week’s briefing featuring renowned biologist E.O. Wilson. This series has debunked myths about the impact of ESA protections on economic development, showed how recovery of predator species such as wolves and grizzly bears is compatible with ranching and other activities, and highlighted the importance of biodiversity to the economy, environment, and public health. 

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