Grijalva Applauds Voter Approval of Washington State-Level Ivory Ban, Decries Republican Efforts in Congress to Block Federal Rule

Washington, D.C. – House Natural Resources Committee Ranking Member Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) released the following statement today on the overwhelming passage of Initiative Measure 1401 in Washington State:

“The voters of Washington State made it clear today that they do not want to be a part of the global wildlife poaching and trafficking crisis. While they took the initiative to ban most sales of elephant ivory, House Republicans continue to push their extinction agenda by trying to prevent the Obama administration from establishing a national ban. I call on my colleagues in Congress to reject bills and policy riders that further endanger wildlife at home and abroad, and to stand up against the criminal syndicates and violent insurgent groups that profit from the slaughter of African elephants.”

Washington joins New York, New Jersey, and California in enacting state-level ivory bans in the past 15 months. The Washington measure goes further by also banning trade in most products created from rhinoceros, lions, leopards, sea turtles, sharks and a number of other species.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service proposed a regulation under the Endangered Species Act in August to ban most imports, exports, and interstate sales of African elephant ivory. That rule is expected to be finalized this fall, but House Republicans have inserted language in the SHARE Act (H.R. 2406) and the Interior and Environment Appropriations bill to block it. It is estimated that between 20,000 and 35,000 African elephants are killed each year by poachers.

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Media Contact: Adam Sarvana

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