# Congress Has a Chance To Fix the Endangered Species Act

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/congress-has-a-chance-to-fix-the-endangered-species-act/
- Published: 2026-11-06T19:35:18+00:00
- Updated: 2026-11-06T20:38:04+00:00
- Original publisher: Reason (publisher lean: Right)
- Original article: https://reason.com/2026/11/06/congress-has-a-chance-to-fix-the-endangered-species-act/
- Topics: Elections, Environment, Government, Politics, Science

## Key points

- The bill would clarify scientific standards used under the Endangered Species Act.
- Only 57 of 1,732 listed species were delisted after recovery.
- The authors say clearer rules could reduce uncertainty and project delays.

## Summary

The article argues that Congress should use a proposed permitting bill, the Bipartisan American Affordability and Jobs Act, to clarify how the Endangered Species Act (ESA) is applied. Its authors say clearer rules could help the law recover threatened species while reducing uncertainty and delays for infrastructure, energy projects, landowners and businesses.

The article says only 57 of the 1,732 species listed under the ESA in its first 50 years were delisted because of recovery, citing a 2023 analysis. It also points to the Delta Smelt case: in 2008, federal restrictions on water projects were imposed to protect the fish, affecting water deliveries to California farmers. The bill would define the “best available science” standard and set criteria for assessing evidence, including whether models account for errors and use accepted methods.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.