On January 27, 2017 three Texas Republicans introduced a bill into congress titled H.R. 717. Their intent is to require a review of economic costs to adding a new specie to the endangered species list. These men feel that the Endangered Species Act of 1973 should be reformed and the new bill needs to have requirements that would take into account the cost on the economy to add that species to the list.
When adding a specie to the Endangered species list there can be some significant costs involved. In 2015 it was reported that the listing program received $20.5 million in federal funding. In April of 2016 The U.S. Fish and Wild Life services average cost of listing a finding was $305,000. For fiscal year 2015 the Fish and Wild Life department spent $20.5 million on their program. Each fiscal year Congress grants
the U.S. Fish and Wild life department a certain amount for their listing budget. Many factors and determinations are put into play to determine whether a specie should be listed. This new bill is aimed to cut those costs down.
However, those not in favor of this bill argue that it is ridiculous to pass this bill because it would actually create a bigger cost. It is only after the species is listed that a plan gets put into place and those plans carried out is when costs occur. To add costs before and add costs after the listing is a waste of the monies that these men who are trying to pass the bill are trying to save. Those opposed to this bill state that we as a country cannot ignore the costs it is required to protect the environment and its wild life.
That it is the wild life and our environment that brings us in revenue to boost our economy. Therefore it is extremely important that we keep the Endangered Species Act the way that it is.
In our Constitution under Article 1 section 7 & 8, it gives Congress the right to pass a bill. Once a bill is drawn up it is submitted to a committee, and in this case it is the House Natural Resource Committee. If the committee decides the bill is worthy of approval it moves the bill onto Congress. Congress then decides to pass it or not pass it. If Congress passes the bill it then goes to the President for his approval
or not. The Constitution has given Congress the supreme power to pass bills and approve laws.
-Mark
Works Cited:
Willey, Sarah. Web "Congress must not pass Endangered Species reform bill" (02/15/17)
Jerrick Adams
• Sarah Groat
• Taylor Kempema
• Adam Vaughn. Web the Public Policy Desk: "Costs of listing a species" (2017)