The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee will take stock of the Endangered Species Act during a hearing Wednesday as House Republicans pursue a major rewrite.
The EPW Subcommittee on Fishing, Water and Wildlife — chaired by Sen. Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.) — will dissect the “challenges and opportunities” of the landmark law, enacted in 1973 to protect plants and animals from extinction through critical habitat designations and recovery plans.
The discussion comes as the Trump administration pursues sweeping changes to how agencies implement the ESA and the House Natural Resources Committee works to limit the statute’s scope.
Introduced by Natural Resources Chair Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.), the “ESA Amendments Act of 2025,” H.R. 1897, would give states more power over protecting endangered species.
