10/25/05 ESA reform Senate preview, Part two

Here are some of the questions and accompanying answers related to the subject of Endangered Species Act reform in Congress. When will the Senate introduce its version? It depends on these factors & how soon a keystone E.S.A. reform advisory committee gives its recommendations to the Chair of the Senate Environmental and Public Works Committee, Lincoln Chafee, and how soon Chafee decides whether to introduce a bill similar to the House E.S.A. reform measure, or craft his own piece of legislation. But Chafee is not the only supporter of E.S.A. reform in the Senate, nor the only one with a say in the matter, although it is a very important one. However, another leader in E.S.A. reform in the Senate, Mike Crapo of Idaho, says there are other efforts being explored. CRAPO: There are other committees that would have interest and we would work on them on that. And also this working group that I chair and that Senator Lincoln helps to chair is going to have a significant involvement. And so although you have to say the committee chairmen control the issue much more than anyone else does, they are very willing to work with us, and we have a very friendly relationship in terms of all of us committed to the process of moving forward. But Crapo, like other E.S.A. reform supporters, add that they are anxious to at least get discussion going, if not before various Senate committees, then within the groups of stakeholders that will need to be a part of E.S.A. reform. The idea is keep the process going, although the preference is get a bill done and introduced before the end of the year. CRAPO: So my thinking is that I would rather not wait that long but that doesn't mean that the process that Senate Chafee is working with isn't going to be critical to the ultimate movement and management of a piece of legislation. But Crapo admits that if worst comes to worst, there could be some movement afoot by others in the Senate to at least get the process moving. CRAPO: I'd drop a bill tomorrow if I could. But it depends on when we are able to get that necessary bi-partisan support base which includes the support from both the environmental sector and private sector outside of Congress and we feel confident that we can move forward. If the process moves too slowly, I might try to encourage some of my colleagues to drop legislation sooner just so we can use the piece of legislation as a vetting process. And as Crapo alludes to, the key to any E.S.A. reform passing the Senate is consensus. There is still some work yet to be done in that regard, but progress is being made. More on that in our next program.