The U.S. House of Representatives yesterday approved a complete "overhaul" of the landmark 1973 Endangered Species Act, and of course the Bush White House approves. The revisions make the law ineffective for protecting wildlife, but they are a boon to industries and developers. 

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Among other things, H.R. 3824 seeks to:
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* Repeal one of the most important parts of the Endangered Species Act’s safety net - the protection of critical habitat;
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* Allow political appointees to manipulate science to fit their political agenda by allowing the Secretary of the Interior to define “best available science”;
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* Eliminate the vital check and balance role wildlife agencies play in reviewing many federal projects that could push threatened and endangered species further toward extinction;
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* Use taxpayer dollars to pay developers, the oil industry and others for obeying the law and not killing or injuring imperiled wildlife or destroying the places where they live; and
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* Exempt Pesticides from Environmental Review under the Endangered Species Act.

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Before the proposed revisions can become law, they must be approved by the Senate. I urge you to contact both of your senators and tell them to stop this legislation.

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Notes: 
The overhaul was proposed by Richard Pombo, chair of the House Resources Committee, who has sought the destruction of the Endangered Species Act for many years. Now, with what could be the most environmentally destructive Congress in history, he has a good chance of succeeding.  Pombo says the Endangered Species Act does not work to protect species in spite of a 32 year track record to the contrary. With a President who has long sought to dismantle environmental protections, there is no chance of a veto if Pombo's extinction bill makes it through the Senate.
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Pombo's League of Conservation Voters Environmental Scorecard:
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* 107th Congress (2001-2002): 9%
* 106th Congress (1999-2000): 3%
* 105th Congress (1997-1998): 10% 
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Pombo Fundraising in the 2001-2002 cycle, from OpenSecrets.org:
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* $173,826 from Agribusiness, including $8,000 from Forestry and Forest Products interests, and $9,000 from the tobacco industry.
* $12,500 from the construction industry.
* $23,350 from energy and natural resources industry, including $16,350 from oil and gas interests. 
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Find out how your representative voted at http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2005/roll506.xml. Remember that in the list a NO vote preserves the Endangered Species Act and protects America's wildlife.