Lynn C. Woolsey: “this bill represents a new low. Wasteful drilling in the Arctic and dismantling the Clean Air Act are bad enough, but…”

“this bill represents a new low. Wasteful drilling in the Arctic and dismantling the Clean Air Act are bad enough, but now the Republican majority wants to weaken the Endangered Species Act, weaken it by handing out subsidies to oil and gas companies and land speculators for not killing endangered species, meaning taxpayers will be giving money to these land developers for simply following the law or for taking a risk by making a big investment in land so they can sell it at a higher price. What next? Will taxpayers be asked to foot the bill to pay companies to follow other laws of the land? Mr. Speaker, I know we can do better. Protecting our endangered species is never easy, but if we do not do it right, if we do not depend on sound science, if instead we yield to greed and politics, there is no second chance. I urge my colleagues to vote against the bill and protect the environment for our children and their children and vote for the bipartisan substitute.”