Nancy Pelosi: “I rise in support of the Fox amendment. We should not force the American taxpayer to directly pay for promoting the…”

“I rise in support of the Fox amendment. We should not force the American taxpayer to directly pay for promoting the international ivory trade or elephant trophy hunting. I believe that the Fox-Miller amendment is a very smart approach to this very complicated challenge before the House today. The Fox amendment bars the use of American tax dollars for the purpose of supporting or promoting the international commercial trade in ivory or rhino horn. The Fox amendment does not stop Zimbabwe, or any other nation, from authorizing or conducting trophy hunting. The Fox-Miller amendment is pro CAMPFIRE maintaining existing funding levels, allowing USAID to invest in a wide-range of revenue-generating activities that have received insufficient activities in the past. When one U.S. agency, USAID, undermines the work of another U.S. agency, the Department of Interior, taxpayer dollars are wasted and U.S. policy positions are undermined. The Interior Department has maintained a firm stand against renewing the international trade in elephant ivory and hide since 1989. Again, the Fox amendment bars the use of American tax dollars for the purpose of supporting or promoting trophy hunting. It does not take the funding away from CAMPFIRE, but directs it away from lobbying efforts and into conservation efforts.”