The House Committee on Natural Resources has advanced four bills aimed at updating federal policy and addressing issues in the District of Columbia. Among these is H.R. 1897, known as the ESA Amendments Act of 2025, which seeks to reform the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The committee also reported H.R. 5103, called the Make the District of Columbia Safe and Beautiful Act.
Chairman Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.) commented on the legislative action: “Today, the committee advanced important legislation to reform the Endangered Species Act. Five decades after the ESA’s passage, only 3 percent of listed species have ever recovered. Special-interest lawsuits and arbitrary rules have weaponized the law against both wildlife and the communities it’s supposed to help. H.R. 1897 restores science, conservation, and sustainable economic development to America’s endangered species policy and returns the ESA to its original, bipartisan purpose as a tool for species recovery. We also advanced legislation that supports President Trump’s efforts to clean up D.C.’s streets, memorials, and parks. The American people deserve better than the crime, graffiti, and litter overrunning their nation’s capital.”
H.R. 1897 was introduced by Chairman Westerman with provisions that include establishing statutory definitions for terms in the ESA, prioritizing species recovery efforts, streamlining permitting processes under the act, offering incentives for recovery of listed species, increasing accountability for agency actions related to endangered species management, and implementing measures designed to prevent frivolous litigation.
Another bill moved forward is H.R. 5103 from Rep. John McGuire (R-Va.), which would codify aspects of President Trump’s Executive Order 14252 by authorizing a program dedicated to beautifying Washington D.C., along with creating a commission tasked with overseeing these efforts.
The committee also reported H.R. 5910 from Rep. Harriet Hageman (R-Wyo.), amending existing law so federally recognized Indian Tribes could lease land held in trust for up to 99 years if approved by the Secretary of Interior.
Additionally advanced was H.R. 4284 from Rep. Teresa Leger Fernandez (D-N.M.), which would allow federal land used or previously used as cemeteries to be conveyed without payment to state or local governments, Indian Tribes or certain qualified community groups.
