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"In the wake of one of the worst environmental disasters in our nation's history, the Republicans have passed a special-interest bill that guts a critical environmental safety net.
"This bill guts many of the critical protections in the Endangered Species Act for the benefit of developers and other special interest groups. I am especially concerned that this bill contains a provision that would effectively result in a massive giveaway of taxpayer dollars to corporate developers whose projects may be affected by the Endangered Species Act.
"Under this legislation, if the Fish and Wildlife Service or the National Marine Fisheries Service determines that a developer's proposal would violate the Endangered Species Act and harm protected habitat, the Service would have to pay the developer for lost profits on any part of the proposed project that cannot be completed.
"This opens the door to incredible giveaways to developers coming straight out of taxpayers' pockets -- especially since the affected party would determine the value of lost profits. Moreover, it would devastate the budgets of the very agencies that we are relying on to protect and recover species.
"The developer giveaway provision is just one example of how this bill does effectively the opposite of what it is intended to do and devastates not only the letter but also the spirit of the Endangered Species Act.
"Supporters of this bill like to point out the relatively small number of endangered species that have been recovered to healthy populations since the passage of the Act. It is more appropriate, however, to note that 99 percent of the species listed since 1973 are still with us today -- a pretty good success rate.
"In New Jersey, people are appalled to hear that Washington politicians are trying to give taxpayer money away to big developers at the expense of endangered species. I share their feelings, and hope the Senate will not take up this short-sighted legislation." |
