January 15, 2009

CONTACT: Allyson Groff or Blake Androff, 202-226-9019

Washington, D.C. - House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Nick J. Rahall (D-WV) today introduced a joint resolution - with the support of 12 co-sponsors - invoking the Congressional Review Act (CRA) to overturn the highly controversial gutting of the Endangered Species Act (ESA) pushed through by the Bush Administration during its waning days in office.

"The Bush Administration has had a long - though one could hardly say proud - history of trying to undermine the ESA and the protection it provides to America's most imperiled species," Rahall said.  "Today, I introduce legislation, using the authority granted to the Congress under the CRA, to overturn a rule that served as the Bush Administration's final assault on, and insult to, one of the Nation's landmark conservation laws."

H.J. Res. 18 seeks to overturn the last-minute, ill-advised action by the Administration to do away with the ESA's cornerstone Section 7 consultation process, a move that essentially gives federal agencies an unacceptable degree of discretion to decide on their own whether or not to comply with the law.  As a result, federal agencies would be allowed to undertake or permit thousands of federal activities - such as logging or building a dam - on federal lands and other areas without obtaining review or comment from federal wildlife biologists at the Fish and Wildlife Service.

First proposed in late August 2008, the Administration rushed a public comment period and environmental assessment of the proposed regulation.  Rahall, along with 80 Members of Congress, led efforts in the House urging the Administration to halt the changes; yet, the Administration defied public opinion and proceeded to review more than 300,000 public comments at a rate of more than 6,000 per hour.

"As the Bush Administration fades off into the sunset, once and for all, they leave behind a devastating trail of last-minute regulatory changes that represent the worst in public policy.  I look forward to working with the Obama Administration to correct course and promote a positive resources conservation agenda.  Passage of this joint resolution will be step one in restoring the vigor of America's natural heritage through this landmark conservation law," Rahall said.

The joint resolution is co-sponsored by Reps. Ed Markey (D-MA), George Miller (D-CA), Peter DeFazio (D-OR), Maurice Hinchey (D-NY), Lois Capps (D-CA), Jay Inslee (D-WA), Rush Holt (D-NJ), Raúl Grijalva (D-AZ), John Dingell (D-MI), Norm Dicks (D-WA), Sam Farr (D-CA), and Earl Blumenauer (D-OR).