Congressman Collins Introduces Bipartisan Legislation to Reform Endangered Species Act

Statement

Today, Congressman Doug Collins, along with Congressman Cynthia Lummis, announced the introduction of the "Endangered Species Recovery Transparency Act". Congressman Collins and Congressman Lummis, both members of the House Endangered Species Working Group, issued the following statements on the introduction of the bill:

"The Endangered Species Act is necessary to sustain at-risk ecological systems, but is in need of transparency for those who foot the bill," said Rep. Collins. "In my home district of Georgia, farming communities are experiencing economic consequences as a result of the long, drawn out legal battles that end in back door deals that impose arbitrary restrictions and cost hundreds of thousands of dollars. The transparency reforms in this legislation will further the goals of species preservation and species recovery, while respecting taxpayers dollars. I thank Congressman Lummis for her leadership on this issue, which affects Americans nationwide -- from Georgia to Wyoming. This legislation is a step toward the government regaining public trust and being a good steward of its' resources."

"Every dollar spent to line the pockets of serial litigants is one less dollar that could be spent on boots on the ground conservation work," said Rep. Lummis. "This legislation ensures transparency in these attorney's fees. It will also help Congress and the public better understand how endangered species policies are increasingly driven by litigation, including closed-door court settlements. I thank Representative Collins for taking up the torch to shine the disinfecting light of transparency on ESA litigation. Transparency is a crucial step towards bringing the Endangered Species Act into the 21st Century and making it work better for species and people."

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