{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["http://thompson.house.gov/press-release/thompson-report-uncovers-lack-independence-and-accountability-endangered-species-act", "Thompson: Report Uncovers Lack of Independence and Accountability with Endangered Species Act Designations", "2014-12-16", "2014", "2014-12", "Republican", "House", "PA", "Glenn Thompson", "T000467", "thompson.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Bellefonte, PA \u2013 The U.S. House Natural Resources Committee has released a report that questions the impartiality and accountability of the peer review process in recent Endangered Species Act (ESA) listing decisions issued by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (FWS), which is the primary agency with authority over ESA designations.\u00a0 \u00a0\n\tThe Committee report, released Monday afternoon, analyzes 13 different ESA listing decisions made since July 2013, including related Federal Register notices, peer reviewer comments, and other publicly available materials, and found numerous examples of potential bias and conflicts of interests with regard to the agency\u2019s peer review process.\n\tThe ESA peer review process is designed for federal agencies to make formal solicitations of expert opinions and analyses on one or more specific questions or assumptions being used to justify a listing designation.\u00a0 The Committee report found that frequent FWS recruits for peer review roles are the same scientists that supplied the research at hand, rather than independent experts without any obvious connection to the species under review.\n\t\u201cThis report reinforces existing concerns over the lack of transparency and questionable processes used by the federal government to develop listing designations under the Endangered Species Act,\u201d stated Rep. Thompson, a member of the Natural Resources Committee. \u201cA case in point, is the northern long-eared bat, where the agency has moved forward with the listing proposal despite broad disagreement over the science and peer review protocols used to support the designation.\u201d\n\tIn October 2013, the FWS proposed to list the northern long-eared bat (NLEB) as an endangered species throughout its range, citing the effects of White-Nose Syndrome as the lone basis for the designation. Although the disease is impacting the species in areas of 38-states, the FWS has admitted that \u201ceven if all habitat-related stressors were eliminated\u201d through an endangered listing \u201cthe significant effects of the White-Nose Syndrome on the northern long-eared bat would still be present.\u201d\n\tIn May 2014, Rep. Thompson, joined by eight members of the Pennsylvania delegation, sent a letter to the FWS urging the agency to rescind the NLEB proposal, citing insufficient scientific data to support this decision.\u00a0 Since that time, the FWS has extended the public comment period due to substantial disagreement over the scientific data used to support the listing.\n\tThe final decision over whether or not to list the NLEB as endangered, which would have adverse economic impacts on a range of economic sectors in subjected states, is due in April 2015. \u00a0\n\t\u201cIt is my hope the Fish and Wildlife Service addresses these failures before moving forward with an ill-considered endangered listing that will have dramatic consequences for Pennsylvania\u2019s economy without addressing the underlying disease impacting the northern long eared bat,\u201d Rep. Thompson added.\n\tThe report also found, among other concerns, that FWS does not consistently disclose to the American public information about who serves as peer reviewers for ESA listing decisions, the instructions they are given, the substance of their comments, or how their comments are addressed by the agency.\n\tClick here to view the full report.\n\t###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["http://thompson.house.gov/press-release/thompson-report-uncovers-lack-independence-and-accountability-endangered-species-act"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 2.1784231066703796, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}