WASHINGTON, D.C. – Yesterday, Rep. Jodey Arrington, Chairman of the House Budget Committee, took to the floor to voice his strong opposition to Democrats’ efforts to list Lesser Prairie-Chicken on the Endangered Species List. Listing the Lesser Prairie-Chicken on the Endangered Species Act would effectively shut down private conservation efforts, impose new requirements on farmers and ranchers, and expose farmers to litigation and lawsuits for routine farming activities.
Click on the image below to view his full speech:
A transcript of Rep. Arrington’s remarks as delivered is included below.
“I thank the Speaker and, I thank my friend from Arkansas. I rise in opposition to the Biden Administration's listing of the Lesser Prairie-Chicken, and I rise in support of the prairie people, in rural America who provide the food, fuel, and fiber for this great nation.
Mr. Speaker, we don't have the luxury of energy independence or food security if it isn't for the hardworking, God-fearing, freedom loving people in rural America. This CRA would put some common sense into this matter of conserving our natural resources.
By the way, no one conserves natural resources better than those who make a living off of the natural resources. So, our ag and energy producers are our best stewards. And as such, when they did their voluntary public-private partnership program of conservation for the Lesser Prairie-Chicken, the [Lesser] Prairie-Chicken increased 50%, it's hard to even say this without laughing actually.
Because we're talking about the [Lesser] Prairie-Chicken, which has expanded under their voluntary efforts, and we're talking about a threat to American energy independence. This isn't about the [Lesser] Prairie-Chicken this is about political chickens, who pander to the Left's extreme climate agenda, and, as a result, we are compromising not only our economic strength and our national security, but America's leadership in the world! This is insane!
By the way, the examples of this abound, it's not just the [Lesser] Prairie-Chicken, it's canceling pipelines, a moratorium on oil and gas, public lands, signing of the Paris Climate Agreement, giving China and Russia a pass, delaying 4,800 drilling permits, depleting the strategic petroleum reserves, and other more covert actions by the SEC and the ESG that runs amuck throughout every appendage of this federal government because it's a whole of government assault on the oil and gas industry, our fossil fuels, and our energy producers who have blessed this great nation of ours.
My God, I cannot believe that we're having this debate Mr. Chairman, but I appeal to the common sense of my colleagues on both sides and to do what's best for our country and not put the [Lesser] Prairie-Chicken over the prairie people that bless this great land. And with that, I yield back.”
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