House Natural Resources Chair Bruce Westerman said he has “work to do” on an Endangered Species Act overhaul that got pulled from consideration last week because of internal Republican opposition.
The Arkansas lawmaker said in an interview Thursday he expects to revive the bill at some point, though he was vague on timing. Florida GOP members worried about offshore drilling were among the bill’s skeptics.
The “ESA Amendments Act,” H.R. 1897, includes a grab bag of Republican priorities, including limiting Endangered Species Act lawsuits from environmental groups.
But the administration’s recent decision to exempt offshore drilling in the Gulf of Mexico from Endangered Species Act requirements spooked some Floridians. There’s a bipartisan consensus against new offshore drilling off the state’s coasts.
