September 30, 2010
Yesterday in brief email exchanges between interested and involved parties for efforts to gain control of the gray wolf from the Federal Government and Don Peay, founder of Sportsmen for Fish and Wildlife, it was noted that Montana Senators Max Baucus and Jon Tester derailed an effort in the House and Senate to pass a bill that would have amended the Endangered Species Act to exempt gray wolves from consideration of that Act.
What follows is a copy of a longer explanation of what transpired, according to Don Peay. After the email copy, you’ll find photos in two parts of the letter to Sen. Reid from Wyoming Gov. Freudenthal as referenced in the email. Click each photo to enlarge it for reading.
“Toby,
I gave the SHORT version to a very complicated issue.
Don Peay, Miles Moretti, Clint Bentley and Ted Lyon meet[sic] with Leader Reid last week about getting this wolf issue resolved, NOW. With all the things going on in Washington, I am very appreciative of leader Reid’s efforts on this issue for the West. He told us he wanted to get something done. Leader Reid did NOT make a time commitment.
Had the Senate wanted, they could have passed Chet Edwards[sic] bill on the Continuing Resolution (CR) Bill. If the CR bill is not passed, the Government would shut down on Sept. 30 at midnight.
Chet Edwards bill had been Carefully researched by a very successful Texas trial attorney and strong democrat who has met privately with Governor Schweitzer on this issue.
I don’t like to speak for others, but several prominent sportsmen had MAJOR discussions with Senators Baucus and Tester for WEEKS, about getting behind the Edwards bill.
Had the Senate passed it, due to Rules, the House had no choice but to accept the CR as written, no conference, no back and forth, etc. It would have been done.
Tuesday morning, the Republican Senators from Idaho, Arizona, Wyoming, and Utah were saying “we can’t put the Edwards Bill on the CR, we voted in our party and made the commitment to minority leader McConnell that we would vote for NO attachments to the CR.”
Of course, I went ballistic with some staffers and asked does anyone in Washington want to get things done, or do we just do protocol ?
Under the leadership of Sen. Hatch, Risch, Crapo, and Barrosso[sic], these statesman[sic] also got Sen. Enzie of Wyoming and Sens. Kyle and McCain of AZ to say,
“we will vote to put the Edwards bill on the CR and solve this problem” These 7 Senators wanted to solve this issue for America.
I will forward you a letter from Wyoming Governor Dave Frudenthal[sic], who had also talked with Leader Reid’s office asking, then in writing to pass the Edwards bill.
A 45 minute meeting was held in Leader Reid’s office at 4 pm. Eastern time yesterday. Baucus and Tester fought it tooth and nail, and essentially killed it. I was then invited in the Room by Leader Reid, and he explained the time constraints. Sen. Baucus then started giving this lame duck reason why the Edwards bill would not be fair to the people of all the other states, to which is said, “With all due respect Senator, pass the Edwards bill, NOW, and people in EACH STATE can manage wolves how they want.” If you really want Montana and all other states to have a say, it is simple, pass the Edwards Bill. He then told me how I was wrong, but he is wrong.
So, Toby, there was no official vote. But clearly, had Senators Tester and Bacchus[sic] wanted to get this done, it would have been done. We had private meetings with democratic Senators Pryor of Arkansas, Nelson of Nebraska, and Bill Kiefer had flown in From North Dakota, and a meeting with Senator Dorgan.
This now is just typical Washington DC smoke and mirror politics, shell games, hide the ball.
Toby, it is time to smoke them out.
In my opinion, had Baucus and Tester gotten behind the Edwards bill, and worked to get it on the Senate CR, Thursday night, wolves would have been off the ESA.
I wrote the email about two votes, because I just spent 20 hours a day in Washington, for 7 days, fighting through all the smoke screens, double talk, BS and I gave it to you straight.
Now, we get to waste millions of more dollars fighting fights in the PR game, in court, and our big game herds continue to get destroyed.
Don Peay,
SFW”
Tom Remington
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