Jim Inhofe

The Waters of the United States rule is not just another example of regulatory overreach by the Obama administration. This rule is not only unlawful; it is completely unfounded.

I think that the final WOTUS rule goes far beyond the authority granted by Congress.

On the record before the court, it appears that the standard is the right standard because the Agencies say it is.

This is considered to be, by the people in my State of Oklahoma, the most significant raid that they have ever had.

This Administration has a policy of, if you can't get something passed by people who are answerable to the people of America, then do it through regulation.

I think now it is time to do it.

The polls show, this Gallup poll, the most recent one, it used to be that climate change or global warming was always No. 1 or No. 2.

It seems to me that it is kind of arbitrary.

I can assure you we are very interested in working with the Western Governors Association on common sense ESA reforms.

In my view, the ESA is broken, and since 1973, when you have just about 1 percent recovered, that, I do not think is a success.

If it takes that long so successfully come up with 16 off the list of 1600, I think it is time for a change.

What are the obstacles? Why does it take a lifetime to get this stuff off?

Well, science isn't settled. Everybody knows that.

Last week was a good example of success. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service decided not to list the greater sage-grouse.

I believe the flexibility of the Endangered Species Act is there when you look for it and you work for it.

I appreciate your time and participation today so that we all can get a better understanding of the Endangered Species Act and how we can improve this legislation.

I hope to work with our Governors and the Service to develop a bipartisan legislative proposal to address these needs and to put the ESA back to work for species recovery.

I appreciated that very much.

We must address the fact that the Service spends more time and resources fighting lawsuits and listing species than actually recovering and delisting species.

Recovery is a long-term endeavor.

I think a lot of times the best ideas come from the ground, come from the States.

When everybody agrees, including the secretary, including the director, that it is recovered, why can't we move forward more quickly?

But we are not talking about grizzly bears now, or at least I am not. What about a burrowing beetle?

This is a victory for State and local conservationists who know that they can positively impact species recovery and ecosystem management without the Washington bureaucrats.

I think maybe we should be looking at that.