U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin Calls on House Leadership to Delist Gray Wolf Before They Leave Town

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin is calling on House Leadership to act on legislation to delist the gray wolf from the Endangered Species List before they adjourn the congressional session for the year. Currently, the House is on track to adjourn for the year this week without acting to delist the Western Great Lakes population of the gray wolf from the Endangered Species List.

In a letter to Congressional Leadership, Baldwin urges them to finish this important work and schedule time to act on legislation that would delist the Western Great Lakes population of the gray wolf from the Endangered Species List and pass management of the wolf back to the State of Wisconsin.

Congress has been working to resolve differences between the Senate and House energy bills, which were passed earlier this year.  The House-passed bill included the provision to delist the wolf and the issue could be resolved with the passage of the final energy bill.  

“Members of the House and Senate have been negotiating the Energy Bill with the goal of reaching a compromise that would pass and become law before Congress adjourned for the holidays,” wrote Senator Baldwin. “However, the House is on track to adjourn this week without finishing this legislation, leaving the business of delisting the Western Great Lakes population of the gray wolf unfinished. I would urge congressional leadership to finish this important work and schedule time needed to pass the bill prior to adjourning. 

Senator Murkowski (R-AK), the author of the Senate Energy Bill, S. 2012, the Energy Policy Modernization Act, also expressed frustration that House leaders, led by Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI-1^st) are preventing the bill from passing. “The House may want to claim that this bill cannot move forward because we are running out of time,” said Senator Murkowski. “The reality is that the House is attempting to run us out of time, in order to prevent this bill from moving forward, even though it contains the priorities of dozens of its members. I urge my House colleagues to reconsider and to allow our conference report to come up for a vote before we adjourn.” 

Senator Baldwin has worked across party lines on this issue for the past five years. She supported a bipartisan effort on delisting the gray wolf when she was in the House of Representatives in 2011.

Last month, she sent a separate letter to Senate Leadership calling for them to take action to delist the gray wolf from the Endangered Species List and return management of the wolf to Wisconsin.

Senator Baldwin has recently published an op-ed on de listing the gray wolf that can be found here.

A copy of the letter Baldwin sent to Congressional Leadership this week is available here.