🚨 UPDATE — November 10, 2025

Petition Update: What the Government Shutdown Actually Means (and Doesn’t Mean)

Many people have asked whether the government shutdown stops Congress from moving forward with the proposals to gut the Endangered Species Act and weaken the Marine Mammal Protection Act.

Here’s the important clarification:

• Yes, federal agencies are paused.

NOAA, NMFS, USFWS, and other wildlife–protection agencies cannot operate normally during a shutdown.

• But Congress is not paused.

The House Natural Resources Committee already voted these rollbacks out of committee right before the shutdown began.

When the House reconvenes, these bills can still be brought to the floor for a vote.

In short:

The shutdown temporarily slows enforcement — but it does not stop Congress from weakening the laws that protect endangered species and marine mammals.

This is why continued pressure matters right now.

Our voices are still the only thing preventing these rollbacks from advancing when the House returns.

Thank you to everyone who has signed and shared — you’re helping protect whales, dolphins, sea otters, seals, turtles, and every species that relies on the ESA and MMPA for survival.

🚨 UPDATE — August 10, 2025

The House committee vote has already taken place, but the fight isn’t over. The bill package has not yet been scheduled for a vote in the full House, and we must keep the pressure on our Representatives to protect both the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA).

Please keep sharing. The international support is incredible — but reaching U.S. voices is crucial. The United States does not operate in a vacuum, and what happens here ripples across the planet.

If you sign, call your Representative today and tell them to stand up for wildlife and ocean protections.

📞 House Switchboard: (202) 225-3121

 
The Issue
On July 22, 2025, Congress held a hearing that could gut the ESA and pave the way to weaken the MMPA.

A package of bills — including H.R. 180, the so-called “Endangered Species Transparency and Reasonableness Act”from Rep. Tom McClintock (R-CA) — would:

• Weigh species survival against cost estimates, not ecological reality
• Allow unvetted state and local data to be treated as “best available science”
• Target conservation groups with burdensome litigation reporting requirements

At the same hearing, Rep. Nicholas Begich (R-AK) floated a draft amendment to the MMPA that would:

• Replace the MMPA’s “maximum productivity” standard with a vague “continued survival” clause
• Remove protections against potential harm, opening the door to preemptive damage

Meanwhile, the House Natural Resources Committee has already approved legislation to delist grizzly bears in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem and block lawsuits challenging that decision — bypassing science for politics.

 
Why This Matters
Sanctuaries like Monterey Bay, California, show what’s possible when we choose protection over exploitation. Thanks to the ESA and MMPA:

• Humpback whales have returned
• Sea otters are restoring kelp forests
• Sustainable tourism supports local economies

These laws work — but only if we defend them.

 
What’s at Risk
If these efforts succeed, we risk:

• Slashing protections for species already on the brink
• Politicizing wildlife decisions once guided by science
• Fast-tracking industrial and development interests over nature
• Weakening marine protections before the public can respond

 
What We’re Asking For
We, the undersigned, urge Congress to:

1. Reject H.R. 180 and any bill that undercuts the ESA — including efforts to delist recovered species and block legal oversight
2. Defend the MMPA — oppose any amendments, like Rep. Begich’s, that weaken it
3. Let science — not politics — lead on wildlife and ocean protections
   Our future — and the future of the species we share this planet with — depends on what we do now.

🦦 Add your name to stop these rollbacks before they become law.