Senator/Candidate Paul’s bill is filled with more science fiction than an Issac Asimov novel. He claims that the ESA has not achieved its goal of recovering threatened or endangered species, when in fact 98 percent of all listed species have been brought from the brink of extinction.⁵ He also claims that litigation stemming from the ESA has actually hurt species, even though the ability to sue polluters is a major component of enforcement.

Paul’s true colors were revealed when he mocked the ESA for, “making no meaningnful effort to account for costs imposed on the private sector.”⁶ — As if the ESA isn’t supposed to stand in the way of extreme industries when they deface the habitats of irreplaceable wild critters.

Rand is so determined to take aim at the ESA you’d think it had insulted his mother or something. But really the ESA has simply stood in the way of more Big Oil profits. Make no mistake, many of the species that Rand and his band of critter killers want to de-list as endangered forage on federal lands. Drillers and frackers see those public lands as a gold mine for oil and gas developers — and they will stop at nothing to get to that land, even if it means driving several species extinct.

So far over 30,000 members like you have added their names to a growing chorus of concerned conservationists who want to stop lawmakers like Rand Paul from gutting major provisions of the ESA. But if we are going to protect this law from extinction, we’ll need as many people as possible voicing their opposition. Please click here to tell the president and your senators to strengthen the ESA, not weaken it.

With your help we can stop lawmakers from taking aim at the ESA and protect habitats from the scourge of Big Oil and other critter killing industries.

For the Critters,

Anthony and Environmental Action

1. Remmilard, Ashley. Senate Holds Hearings on ESA Reform Bills. Endangered Species Law and Policy. May 6, 2015.

2. Brown, Matthew. House Republicans Call For Changes To Endangered Species Act. The Denver Post. February 5, 2014.

3. Henry, Devin. Obama Pushes To Give States Bigger Role In Species Protection. The Hill. May 18, 2015.

4. Halpern, Michael. Your Hand Guide To Attacks On How The Endangered Species Act Uses Science. Union of Concerned Scientists. May 6, 2015.

5. United States Fish and Wildlife Service: Defining Success Under The Endangered Species Act. 2013.

6. “S.855: Endangered Species Management Self Determination Act”

It seems like every week another lawmaker proposes a plan to weaken or repeal the Endangered Species Act (ESA). Last month we told you about the relentless attacks on one of the most successful conservation laws in our nation’s history from all three branches of government: The Senate is considering several bills to prevent us from protecting threatened species, including one requiring the Department of the Interior to value Big Oil profits over wildlife. The House has announced plans to weaken ithe ESA even more and even President Obama announced plans to “seriously overhaul the law.

Now America’s favorite fillibuster-er, Senator Rand Paul, has gotten into the mix by introducing yet another critter-killing bill that would remove 94 percent of endangered species like grizzly bears, wolves and sea otters from protection. Paul’s bill would also automatically remove protections for any species after five years, whether it has recovered or not. Worse yet, it would give governers the authority to overrule federal protections for species located in their states. Rand’s bill is so extreme it’s being referred to as the “Extinction Acceleration Act.”

Contact the President and your Senators and tell them straight up, “Don’t Endanger The Endangered Species Act!”