Bringing Transparency to the Endangered Species Act

Washington, D.C. - Congressman Kevin McCarthy (CA-23) released the following statement on House passage of H.R. 4315, the 21st Century Endangered Species Transparency Act:

We must do our best to preserve and protect this land that God has given us, but we must do so in a way that balances the goals of environmental stewardship with human needs for both local communities and our national interests.

"In the past few years, America has begun to experience a natural resources boom that has become the greatest success story in today's economy. Unfortunately, environmental activists have abused the procedures and intent of the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and have hindered this boom by blocking off lands from exploration. In California, ESA regulations that prioritize fish over people have exacerbated the current drought and denied our communities the water we need. They have even kept land from use for recreation and have hindered firefighting efforts.

"The bill passed by the House makes simple and modest reforms to add transparency to the ESA process. These reforms will ensure that endangered species are protected as intended while also ensuring the American people know what science, data, and other analysis are being used to add to or alter the list of protected species under the Act. The reforms will also make transparent how much the Federal government spends on environmentalist's lawsuits and lawyers' fees. This is the type of greater public transparency and Congressional oversight that the American people are looking for from their government."