Bruce Westerman: “This amendment would actually make the bill worse by authorizing nonprofit organizations to receive funding under title…”

“This amendment would actually make the bill worse by authorizing nonprofit organizations to receive funding under title I. This amendment is in direct contravention to the original intent of this legislation, which is to empower States and Tribes in species conservation. The current bill directs funds provided under this program to State and Tribal fish and wildlife departments or to regional associations of fish and wildlife departments. The amendment would allow activist environmental groups, many of whom are serial litigants against the kinds of projects this bill aims to support, to receive funding under title I, decreasing money available for State fish and game departments. Radical special interest groups have weaponized the Endangered Species Act by continuously suing the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. This sue-and-settle process overwhelms regulatory agencies, resulting in settlement agreements and consent decrees that require agencies to promulgate major regulations within an arbitrarily imposed timeline. These agreements are often negotiated behind closed doors with little or no transparency or public input, allowing radical special interest groups to promote their own Federal policy agendas, outside of the normal processes. To make matters worse, these groups are financially rewarded for suing the government, for suing the American taxpayer.…”