'They Wouldn't Know Science If They Tripped Over It': Rob Wittman Tears Into Wildlife Service

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During a House Natural Resources Committee hearing prior to the congressional recess, Rep. Rob Wittman (R-VA) spoke about "carte blanche" closures issued by the Fish and Wildlife Service.

Transcript

00:00Back, is there further discussion on the bill?

00:02Mr. Whitman, you're recognized.

00:05Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

00:06I'm the proud sponsor of H.R. 556,

00:10Protecting Access to Hunters and Anglers Act,

00:12and I'm amused.

00:13I'm amused at people that talk about

00:15they're the advocates for science,

00:17yet they wouldn't know science if they tripped over it.

00:20I worked as a scientist for the Virginia Department of Health

00:23for 27 years,

00:25and under the federal statute and state statutes,

00:27I was required to gather data

00:30before I made a decision about whether areas

00:32should be open or closed

00:34for the safe taking of shellfish, crustacea, and others.

00:38So what we're saying now is we have a different standard.

00:40We just carte blanche close areas with no data,

00:43without any direct link to the use of lead,

00:47whether it's fishing, tackle, or ammo,

00:49and closing these areas for access for sportsmen.

00:52It just astounds me that it's okay in one area to use this.

00:55It's okay to claim in one area that you're this advocate for science,

00:59and then you turn around and say,

01:01no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no.

01:03And people that don't even know what science is.

01:05I worked as 27 years, I have a Ph.D. in science.

01:08And I'm going to be lectured by others that say,

01:10somehow, we don't need to collect data.

01:13This bill is simply about this.

01:14It's about collecting data

01:17before we make decisions that affect sportsmen.

01:20We do it in other areas.

01:21We do that for the taking of shellfish.

01:24We do that for the taking of crustacea

01:25to make sure the public is protected.

01:27And it was a perfect example.

01:28We've seen this in the Charles M. Russell

01:30Wetland Management District in Montana.

01:33Without using any accurate science

01:34to substantiate its policies,

01:36the Fish and Wildlife Service recommended

01:37an outright ban on lead tackle and ammo.

01:41Sounds convenient.

01:42Just close it all down.

01:43We don't care.

01:44We don't need to collect the data.

01:45And they didn't even look at what the impact was on wildlife.

01:50It's just that we think there's a problem here.

01:52Is there an association with lead poisoning and animals?

01:56Yes.

01:57But the key is it's not in every situation.

01:59It's a matter of are they going to ingest lead?

02:01Is it there in a scientifically significant concentration

02:05actually causing impact on wildlife?

02:08Another important part of this bill

02:10is to remember that this is about access

02:12to the people that own this land.

02:15This land doesn't belong to members of Congress.

02:18It belongs to the citizens of the United States.

02:20They paid for this land.

02:22They paid for maintaining this land.

02:23They paid for the staffs

02:24that are on the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Agencies.

02:26And yet we're saying, nope, nope.

02:28We're going to be high and mighty.

02:29We're going to say, you don't get access to that

02:31because we want to place some arbitrary

02:33and capricious requirement there that says we can close it.

02:38We don't have to use data to close it.

02:40We just close it.

02:43Some of my colleagues are going to close this legislation

02:45and say the bill is a rubber stamp to use lead anywhere.

02:47It is not.

02:48It is anything but that.

02:49This is about developing the data, the science,

02:52that the other side claims they want to have.

02:54But only use science when it supports your argument.

02:57If it doesn't support your argument,

02:58then we look at it and go, no, no, we fly right past it.

03:00Just these carte blanche bans if it suits your means.

03:06If you're going to use science the proper way,

03:07you need to use it in every circumstance.

03:09Not just the circumstance that supports your argument,

03:12but in every circumstance.

03:15This bill does promote site-specific scientific data collection

03:19and decision-making to make sure that we are managing the resources of this country

03:26in the best interest of everyone.

03:29Everyone.

03:30That's the key.

03:31Each refuge, each parcel of land has its own unique ecosystems and biological makeup.

03:38That's the uniqueness of this country and how these ecosystems function.

03:43It's how I had to work in my job.

03:45I had to collect samples at stations literally within sight of each other

03:49to determine the water conditions change here.

03:52They change another 300 yards down the road.

03:54They're different.

03:55It's a dynamic environment.

03:56This is not a static environment.

03:58If anything, we know is that this exists within the real world

04:03and that data should drive science-based decisions.

04:08System-wide and statewide bans are short-sighted and ineffective,

04:12and they create problems in the underpinning decisions that we make on these resources.

04:19I urge my colleagues to vote yes on this common-sense legislation.

04:23Let's make it science-based.

04:25Let's gather the information.

04:26And when the information indicates that on these sites,

04:29I have no problem with saying we shouldn't allow the use of lead tackle or lead ammunition.

04:34But carte blanche bans looking past that saying we don't have any data,

04:38we're just going to go ahead and shut things down

04:40and getting lectured to by people that haven't got a shred of experience

04:45in the realm of science or collecting data or making public policy decisions is frustrating.

04:52With that, Mr. Chairman, I yield back.

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