Just before Congress left Washington to go home and campaign, Senator Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) put a personal hold on five important pieces of wildlife legislation, effectively blocking them from a vote.
These are:
* H.R. 388, the Crane Conservation Act. * S. 529, the Great Cats and Rare Canids Act. * S. 850, the Shark Conservation Act. * S. 859, the Marine Mammal Rescue Assistance Amendments. * S. 1748, the Southern Sea Otter Recovery and Research Act.
Coburn's rash actions affect a wide variety of species, including sharks, big cats, wolves, sea otters, and marine mammals - including some threatened species.
Add your voice to the call for Tom Coburn to let his fellow Senators vote on these crucial bills.
Let the senate vote on wildlife protection!
Senator Tom Coburn,
I'm writing to ask that you release your hold on five important pieces of legislation affecting wildlife.
These are: * H.R. 388, the Crane Conservation Act. * S. 529, the Great Cats and Rare Canids Act. * S. 850, the Shark Conservation Act. * S. 859, the Marine Mammal Rescue Assistance Amendments. * S. 1748, the Southern Sea Otter Recovery and Research Act.
These five bills, estimated by the Congressional Budget Office to cost only $125 million over five years, represent a fraction of a fraction of our overall national budget. More importantly, they represent a significant investment in maintaining biodiversity and protecting wildlife in our waters and on land.
If you wish to oppose these bills on the grounds that they cost too much, the time and place to do that is on the Senate floor. These bills deserve a vote by the full Senate, and I ask you to remove your hold, and let your fellow Senators vote on these bills on their merits.
