House Interior Appropriations bill is riddled with harmful anti-environmental riders

WASHINGTON- (Tuesday, June 16, 2015)– The just-completed House Interior appropriations bill includes a number of anti-wildlife riders which attack the Endangered Species Act (ESA), weaken habitat protections and block tighter restrictions on the illegal sale of ivory. Rep. Betty McCollum (MN-4) offered an amendment to strike all anti-environmental riders from the bill, Rep. Chellie Pingree (ME-1) offered an amendment to strike all anti-ESA riders, but both amendments were defeated. Rep. Steve Israel (NY– 3) also offered an amendment to eliminate a rider that opposed tighter restrictions on the sale of ivory needed to stem the flow of smuggled ivory into this country.

The following is a statement from Jamie Rappaport Clark:

“The House of Representatives continues to wage its war on wildlife and our natural heritage and this appropriations bill is only the latest shot fired. This bill takes aim at vulnerable species like the gray wolf, northern long-eared bat and greater sage-grouse and blocks the development of tighter restrictions on the sale of ivory.  We are grateful to conservation champions like Rep. McCollum, Rep. Israel and Rep. Pingree who stood up for our natural heritage against tremendous odds and we thank them for their efforts to stop these disastrous riders in their tracks. We look to the president to ensure these needlessly destructive riders are removed.”

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