07.28.15

Grijalva, Author of House Measure to Protect Elephants in Face of GOP Obstruction, Hails New Federal Ivory Trafficking Rule

Washington, D.C. – Ranking Member Raúl M. Grijalva hailed the ivory trafficking standard released this morning by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), which comes after months of resistance from the National Rifle Association (NRA) and other special interest groups. The NRA and its congressional Republican allies claim any elephant protection standard will threaten the traffic in antique firearms – an issue the new Endangered Species Act (ESA) rule directly addresses by creating a de minimis exemption for items with up to 200 grams of ivory components.

Grijalva on July 8 introduced an amendment to the Interior, Environment and Related Agencies appropriations bill on the House floor that would have blocked Republican language preventing the release of the ivory standard. As part of their campaign to undermine the ESA and ignore the ongoing extinction crisis, both here and around the world, the Republican majority voted it down 183-244. The bill itself was later pulled from consideration because of Republican divisions over the display of the Confederate battle flag.

“Unfortunately the United States provides a market for illegal ivory, and our federal agencies are right to do everything in their power to shut that market down,” Grijalva said. “Today’s rule gives me hope that we can start protecting elephants and end these squabbles about unrelated political issues. I hope to hear my Republican colleagues will abandon their extinction agenda, embrace this carefully written standard and swear off their outdated talking points about handguns and pianos. Legitimately acquired personal items and family heirlooms are not threatened by this rule. The only people this rule threatens are criminal ivory traffickers and terrorists, and that’s why I support it wholeheartedly.”

More than 35,000 African elephants were killed in 2013 alone, including an incident in which poachers killed more than 300 elephants in a national park in Zimbabwe by poisoning their watering holes. House Republicans have traditionally opposed stronger ivory trafficking standards in the face of this ongoing decimation.