Today, prominent Congressional Democrats led members of their party in demanding the Trump administration withdraw their proposed rules that would effectively dismantle the Endangered Species Act (ESA).

“These sweeping changes would fundamentally weaken our nation’s most important wildlife conservation law at a time when one million species face extinction globally,” wrote the lawmakers. “We urge the National Marine Fisheries Service and the Fish and Wildlife Service to withdraw these proposed rulemakings and instead work to implement the ESA as Congress intended: any regulatory changes should further the objectives of the ESA to conserve species and prevent extinction.”

The Trump administration’s proposed rules would end blanket protections for threatened species, limit the interagency consultation process, allow economic considerations to factor into listing decisions, and make it more challenging to list a species as endangered or threatened. Over one million comments were submitted before the close of the public comment period on December 22, 2025.

The lawmakers rightly recognize the popularity and effectiveness of the ESA; it has saved more than 99% of listed species from extinction since its inception in 1973. Recent polling suggests that a majority of Americans support the ESA and understand the need to protect the diverse wildlife that reside across the country.

Read the full letter here.