On the recordSeptember 7, 2017
I thank the gentleman for his comments and for his amendment, and I fully agree with his concerns about the backlogs, but I have concerns with the proposed offset and appreciate the intention to withdraw it. The committee has made a concerted effort in recent years to fix these problems and has increased the recovery account by almost $4 million over the last 2 years. Under House Republican pressure over the past 7 years, the Fish and Wildlife Service has delisted more species than all other previous years combined, but, clearly, we still have a long way to go. The Service has been directed and funded to complete all 5-year reviews within the period required by law, and the committee will continue to press the Service to see that they eliminate these backlogs. I thank the gentleman again for raising this issue, and I pledge to work with him on this.
