Bruce Westerman: “I thank the gentleman from Washington not only for holding this important forum tonight but also for his tremendous…”

“I thank the gentleman from Washington not only for holding this important forum tonight but also for his tremendous leadership with the Western Caucus, where we look at real solutions for rural America. Madam Speaker, America is blessed with an incredible abundance of wildlife. Many of these animals have become icons of our country. Look no further than the majestic bald eagle, the national symbol of freedom and American pride. With such rich biodiversity, we have a responsibility to respect and protect the species that call the United States home. When President Nixon signed the Endangered Species Act into law in 1973, its stated intent was simple: protect wildlife most at risk of extinction. While the law had just intentions, ambiguous language and lawsuits have allowed special interest groups to hijack the ESA, using it as a weapon against any projects or actions they oppose. This has had a particularly devastating impact on rural economies across the country as red-tape lawsuits block important projects and essential agency actions. One example of this, as my colleagues from California know, is continual ESA lawsuits over the 3-inch Delta smelt that have diverted trillions of gallons of water away from farmers in the San Joaquin Valley of California to create a man-made drought and double-digit unemployment in recent years.…”