[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 160 (2014), Part 10]
[House]
[Page 14147]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                      THE NORTHERN LONG-EARED BAT

  (Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania asked and was given permission to 
address the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I rise to discuss an 
important and timely field hearing that was put on today by the House 
Natural Resources Committee in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, titled, ``The 
Northern Long-Eared Bat: The Federal Endangered Species Act and Impacts 
of a Listing on Pennsylvania and 37 Other States.''
  Today's oversight panel heard from witnesses representing a number of 
economic sectors on the harmful economic impacts of this wrongheaded 
designation proposal.
  Mr. Speaker, no one can deny the primary challenge facing the 
northern long-eared bat, which is a disease known as white-nose 
syndrome, and there is a consensus that we must learn more about this 
great threat. However, it is imperative that we get the science right 
and strategically address the root cause of the apparent population 
losses rather than restrict a large area of the economy and activities 
that have no bearing on slowing or reversing this disease.
  The Endangered Species Act is far from perfect and has generated many 
unintended and harmful consequences. Unfortunately, the proposed 
designation for this particular species is yet another reminder of how 
this law must be improved and modernized.

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