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Water, Wildlife and Fisheries

Westerman Decries Finalized MBTA Rule

| Posted in Press Release
WOW Subcommittee

Today, the U.S. Department of the Interior finalized a proposed rule regarding the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA), which would repeal the Trump administration's January 2021 rulemaking. House Committee on Natural Resources Ranking Member Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.) issued the following statement in response: "It's disappointing but not surprising to see the Biden administration…

Republican Members Denounce Unnecessary Gray Wolf Review

| Posted in Press Release
WOW Subcommittee

This week, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) completed initial reviews of two petitions from special interest groups to list the gray wolf under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) in the western United States. USFWS announced it will be conducting a 12-month comprehensive status review, despite robust state-led efforts to manage the species. "Once again, radical special interest…

Committee Democrats Silence Debate on Reconciliation Instructions

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Washington - Today, the House Committee on Natural Resources continued marking up the Natural Resources title of the House's Fiscal Year 2022 budget reconciliation legislation. While committee Republicans were still offering amendments to the legislation, Chairman Raúl Grijalva (D-Ariz.) ended debate through an amendment in nature of a substitute (ANS). Ranking Member Bruce Westerman…

Committee Democrats Reject Commonsense Amendments

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Today, the House Committee on Natural Resources began marking up the Natural Resources title of the House's Fiscal Year 2022 budget reconciliation legislation. Ranking Member Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.) issued the following statement: "This reconciliation package is a bad bill with bad timing, plain and simple. During a time when Congress should be united and addressing the…

Republican Committee Leaders Urge Grijalva to Postpone Markup

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Today, House Committee on Natural Resources Ranking Member Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.) led the committee's Republican leadership in a letter urging Chairman Raúl Grijalva (D-Ariz.) to postpone the upcoming full committee markup in light of the urgent crises facing Americans. In part, the members wrote: "We have grave concerns about the extremely partisan budget reconciliation package…

Westerman Leads Special Order on Western Drought Crisis

| Posted in Press Release
WOW Subcommittee

Today, House Committee on Natural Resources Ranking Member Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.) led a special order on the House floor, where members showcased the devastating consequences this administration's inaction on western water is having during a severe drought season. "For months now, we have sounded the alarm, only to be met with inaction from both the administration and our…

As Drought Crisis Grows, Republicans Call on Administration to Take Action

| Posted in Press Release
WOW Subcommittee

Today, House Committee on Natural Resources Ranking Member Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.) joined Western Caucus Chairman Dan Newhouse (R-Wash.), House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) and other Republican members in a letter to U.S. Department of the Interior Secretary Deb Haaland and U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, urging them to take swift action to address the…

Expanding Northern Spotted Owl Habitat Will Inhibit Species Recovery

| Posted in Press Release
WOW Subcommittee

Today, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) issued a proposed rule to withdraw a 2021 Trump administration rule that would have excluded 3.4 million acres of critical habitat for the northern spotted owl. "Yet again, this administration is backing an anti-science proposal that will only make the problem worse. The Fish and Wildlife Service has already proven that declining…

Committee Republicans Advance Bipartisan Bills, Offer Amendments to Dangerous Legislation

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Today, the House Committee on Natural Resources held a markup, reporting a total of 14 bills out of committee. Twelve of these bills were bipartisan - including U.S. Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks' (R-Iowa) recently-introduced Veterans in Parks (VIP) Act - and passed by unanimous consent.  However, committee Democrats also advanced legislation that would be detrimental to…

Westerman Criticizes Biden Administration’s Proposed ESA Regulations

| Posted in Press Release
WOW Subcommittee

Today, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) announced it will be rolling back a significant portion of Endangered Species Act (ESA) reforms put in place by the Trump administration. House Committee on Natural Resources Ranking Member Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.) issued the following statement in response: "Today's ESA announcement is yet another example of how out of touch the Biden…