On the recordFebruary 26, 2016
I am proud today to offer the only bipartisan amendment that has been found in order on this bill. I am really proud, after working in Congress now for three terms, that Members from both the majority and the minority have come together in an effort to protect the Endangered Species Act. This amendment speaks directly to the issue of gray wolves protected by the Endangered Species Act in the western Great Lakes region of Wisconsin, Michigan, and Minnesota, as well as Wyoming. There was a period of time that the gray wolves had become almost extinct in these areas and the scientists at the Fish and Wildlife Service decided to protect them from extinction by listing the gray wolf as an endangered species. That work was so successful that, in 2011, the Fish and Wildlife Service decided to de-list the gray wolf. In fact, there are now hundreds of mating pairs in these regions. However, those wolves have created some problems. In spite of this remarkable recovery, in spite of how robust this is, a surprise Federal court ruling took place in 2014 and invalidated the scientists at the Fish and Wildlife Service who were given the responsibility under law of the Endangered Species Act to manage this population. So my amendment is simple. It just simply restates and delists the wolves in these four States only. That is what my amendment does.…
