U.S. House Votes to Strike Down Lesser Prairie Chicken Listing

Washington, D.C. – Today, the U.S. House of Representatives voted on Senator Marshall’s CRA that would strike down the listing of the Lesser Prairie Chicken under the Endangered Species Act. Listing the Lesser Prairie Chicken as a threatened or an endangered species will harm states like Kansas and undermine the conservation efforts of farmers, ranchers, and energy producers in rural communities. In May, Senator Marshall’s CRA passed the Senate 50-48. Congressman Mann (R-KS-01) championed the CRA vote in the House where it passed 221-206.

“The federal government thinks it knows best when it comes to conservation, yet despite billions of dollars being spent, less than 2% of all listed species have been removed from ESA protection since 1973. On the other hand, farmers, ranchers, and energy producers have voluntarily conserved tens of millions of acres of potential habitat for the Lesser Prairie Chicken which has had a rising population since 2014,” Senator Marshall said. “The listing of this Chicken is just another tool the Biden Administration is using to attack rural America. I am proud of the House’s vote today and Congressman Tracey Mann’s leadership in the House on this effort.” “This resolution pushes back on an unnecessary and burdensome regulation that threatens the livelihoods of people in rural America,” Rep. Mann said. “I am proud of my colleagues for rejecting the Biden Administration’s rule that designates the lesser prairie-chicken as a threatened species in places like Kansas. Farmers, ranchers, and agricultural producers are the original conservationists, and the federal government must get out of their way and let them do what they do best.”