©2025 League of Conservation Voters
Senator Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) sponsored S.J. Res. 23, a Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolution of disapproval, which would repeal the National Marine Fisheries Service’s (NMFS) final rule for the definition of “habitat” under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and restore the pro-polluter Trump-era regulation that severely limited the designation of lands and waters as “critical habitat” for threatened species. The CRA is an extreme and blunt tool that is being used by anti-environmental members of Congress who want to permanently strip away protections for our environment, wildlife, and natural heritage. The Trump-era rule limited protections only to those areas that could currently support the species, excluding areas that were previously occupied or could be restored as future habitat, which is inconsistent with the purposes and intent of the ESA. On May 11, the Senate approved S.J. Res. 23 by a vote of 51-49. The House took no action on this legislation.
©2025 League of Conservation Voters