Expanding Definitions of ‘National Security,’ Trump Administration Set to Illegally End Species Protections in Gulf of Mexico
WASHINGTON — President Trump today held a non-public meeting of the “God Squad” – a committee of agency heads with the power to veto protections for species on the brink of extinction – to ask for revocation of protections for endangered species in the Gulf of Mexico. The administration is revoking these protections under the auspices of “national security,” claiming the action is aimed at bringing down high energy prices, according to reports. In response, Lisa Gilbert, co-President of Public Citizen, issued the following statement:
“Trump’s attempt to use secret meetings to sidestep the law and end key protections is a dangerous precedent by an unpopular administration that failed to understand the consequences of starting a war in the Middle East. Using ‘national security’ as justification to take shortcuts with legal requirements is a dangerous move with far reaching implications.
“The Endangered Species Act requires that documents and meetings must be open to the public, yet the administration is cloaking this decision in secrecy. Fossil fuel companies are not requesting this waiver, nor is any other industry—instead the Trump administration is using its war in Iran to justify a power grab that will do nothing to lower the price of fuel here in the U.S.”
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