Press Releases

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Western Caucus Chairman Dan Newhouse (WA-04) and Rep. Lauren Boebert (CO-03) released the following statements following passage of H.R. 764, the Trust the Science Act. This bill directs the Department of the Interior to remove protections for the gray wolf under the Endangered Species Act (ESA), effectively delisting the species from the ESA. The legislation passed by a bipartisan vote of 209 – 205.
 
“The weaponization of the Endangered Species Act by the Biden Administration and extreme environmentalists has been unrelenting and deeply disappointing,” said Chairman Newhouse. “By all metrics, the gray wolf population has recovered. But instead of pursuing common sense, science-backed approaches to delisting, this Administration continues to weaponize the ESA against private landowners. I’m proud to support this legislation that delists the gray wolf and returns management to the states, while eliminating activist judges from the process.”
 
“For far too long, farmers and ranchers have been powerless to defend their livestock from gray wolf attacks," said Rep. Boebert. "Rather than celebrating the success story of the gray wolf recovery, leftists and activist judges want to cower to radical environmentalists and leave this apex predator on the ESA list in perpetuity, preventing scarce taxpayer resources from going to endangered species that actually need help being recovered. The gray wolf is fully recovered and should be delisted in the lower 48 states. Today’s passage of my Trust the Science Act takes an important first step to empower states and tribal wildlife agencies while putting people ahead of violent predators.”
 
Background:

Gray wolves are currently thriving in their habitats. On November 3, 2020, the Trump Administration handed down a final rule removing the gray wolf as a protected species from the ESA. However, in February of 2022, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California vacated the rule and the U.S. Department of Justice is currently appealing the decision. H.R. 764 reinstates the Trump era final rule and exempts the rule from judicial review.
 
Read the full text of the bill here.