1. United States
2. N.C.
3. Letter

I am writing as your constituent to ask you to support H.R. 8919, the Protect Gulf Life Act. This bill would overturn the Endangered Species Committee’s sweeping decision to exempt oil and gas operations across the Gulf of Mexico from important protections under the Endangered Species Act. This is not a question of choosing wildlife over American energy production. It is a question of maintaining the rule of law, requiring accountable government decision-making, and rejecting special-interest exemptions that exceed the committee’s intended role. Congress created the Endangered Species Committee for rare, narrowly defined situations in which a specific federal project conflicts with species protections and no reasonable alternative exists. A blanket exemption covering oil and gas operations across more than 600,000 square miles of the Gulf is far beyond that purpose. The decision also raises serious concerns about transparency and due process. Advocacy organizations and lawmakers have reported that the committee failed to follow important public-notice and transparency requirements. The federal government should not be permitted to remove longstanding legal protections for dozens of threatened and endangered species through a rushed and unusually broad administrative action. The Gulf of Mexico supports commercial fishing, tourism, recreation, coastal businesses, and the livelihoods of millions of Americans. Protecting its health is both an environmental responsibility and a conservative economic principle. Once a species becomes extinct, no government program or technological innovation can restore it. The Rice’s whale, with only about 50 individuals believed to remain, illustrates the irreversible consequences of allowing short-term interests to outweigh careful stewardship. H.R. 8919 would restore the protections Congress established and prevent this extraordinary exemption from being revisited for three years. It would not end responsible energy development. It would simply require energy companies and federal agencies to operate under clear, consistent laws rather than receiving a sweeping exemption from them. Please stand against big corporations and for responsible stewardship, limited government, accountability, property and and the economic interests of those who rely on commercial fishing, tourism, recreation, and other coastal businesses by supporting H.R. 8919. I would appreciate knowing your position on this legislation and the steps you will take to protect the Gulf’s wildlife and coastal economy.