Political Quotes

“2 years ago, in Lewiston, ID, as chairman of the Drinking Water Fisheries and Wildlife Subcommittee, I held a hearing to review the current Endangered Species Act and to identify ways to improve the act. It was clear from the testimony we heard that the current law simply is not working. It isn't working for species and it isn't working for people. That message was loud and clear. Senator Chafee was there with us at that meeting. We must do a better job of protecting species without jeopardizing our communities. The legislation that I am introducing today with Senator Chafee, Senator Baucus, and Senator Reid will do just that. It will bring real and fundamental reform to the Endangered Species Act, and it will minimize the social and economic impact of the ESA on the lives of ordinary citizens, and it will benefit species. That is the critical point. I want to thank Senators Chafee, Baucus, and Reid, who have worked diligently with me as we have crafted this legislation, which brings about balance and a bipartisan approach to a very sensitive issue. There are over 1,000 species on the endangered species list today but fewer than half of them have ever had a recovery plan written for them. The best evidence that the current law isn't working may be the fact that not a single species has recovered as a result of a recovery plan.”