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San Francisco Chronicle
11-05-2025
- Politics
- San Francisco Chronicle
House GOP passes bill to remove endangered species protection for tiny fish in S.F. Bay
House Republicans passed a bill Thursday that would reverse endangered species protection for a tiny inhabitant of San Francisco Bay. Opponents say it could set a dangerous precedent. The resolution seeks to remove the endangered species status of longfin smelt in San Francisco Bay. The fish received that designation in July under the Biden administration. Rep. Doug LaMalfa, a Republican from Butte County, introduced the resolution in March under the Congressional Review Act, saying it was necessary to protect the state's water supply. Opponents say the time period for such a resolution already expired and that the Republican effort is part of an unprecedented attack on endangered species protections. 'Generally we're seeing an all-out assault on the Endangered Species Act and protections like it,' said Cameron Walkup, policy advocate for Earthjustice, who spoke before the vote. Earthjustice opposes the resolution along with several other environmental groups, including San Francisco Baykeeper. Walkup called the Congressional Review Act 'an undemocratic, scorched-earth policy (that) makes it so a bare majority in Congress can overturn any law.' The bill passed the House 216-195 with three Democrats voting in favor, including Rep. Jim Costa and Rep. Adam Gray from California. One Republican, Brian K. Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania, voted against it. The longfin smelt is different from the delta smelt, another small and federal protected fish in San Francisco Bay that President Donald Trump often blames for California's water woes — he included a swipe at the fish in January, when blaming regulations protecting it for a lack of water during the Los Angeles fires in January, though water experts said the city's fire hydrants ran dry for other reasons. The longfin smelt's endangered species listing came after about 17 years of advocacy by environmental groups. What LaMalfa and other Republicans oppose are the accompanying habitat protections, though not yet published, that will probably require a certain amount of water to flow into the delta from the Sacramento River rather than being diverted to farms and cities. The Endangered Species Act 'has been weaponized for decades to destroy rural America and the West, and its abuse has done little to recover species but has shut down needed forestry, water operations farming as so much more,' LaMalfa said in an email Wednesday. 'I'm happy to see Congress begin to push back on the activists and bureaucracy.' During the Biden administration, Republicans tried to undo two other endangered species listings with Congressional Review Act resolutions, an increasingly popular way to try to repeal federal rules. Biden vetoed those efforts and the two animals — the northern long-eared bat and the lesser prairie chicken — remain federally protected. The results could be different under the Trump administration, Walkup said. LaMalfa also said the longfin smelt's selection as an endangered species was an 'enforced listing' prompted by a lawsuit from environmental groups, and that its habitat protections would overlap with existing ones for the federally endangered delta smelt. 'This listing is a political act by the Biden admiration and activist judges, and Congress isn't going to let them further destroy the California water system,' he said. If the resolution were to succeed, the wording of the Congressional Review Act would make it almost impossible to give the fish endangered species status in the future, said Rep. Jared Huffman, ranking member of the House Natural Resources Committee Democrats, who opposes the resolution. Huffman, D-San Rafael, and other opponents also said that LaMalfa's resolution, which was filed March 21, comes too late. Congressional Review Act resolutions must come within 60 legislative days — meaning days that Congress is in session — after a rule is received by the Senate. The longfin smelt rule was submitted to the Senate on Aug. 15, according to the congressional record, which meant a chance to review it expired in early January, Walkup said. In his email, LaMalfa argued that the listing was received by the Senate on Sept. 9 and therefore falls in the window; however, that was the date it was received by the Senate's Environment and Public Works committee, according to the record. Walkup called that argument a 'parliamentary gimmick.' 'I really think this story is about how extreme things have become,' Huffman said Wednesday. 'We are seeing these House Republicans use the mechanism of the Congressional Review Act, which is a really radical thing.' Previous efforts to protect other species in the bay haven't saved the longfin smelt from imminent extinction, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said in its listing determination for the species. The listing said that the main threats facing the fish are 'reduced and altered freshwater flows resulting from human activities,' meaning water diverted for farming and other uses, along with more frequent and longer droughts and higher temperatures associated with climate change. The fish 'used to be at least 10 times, maybe 100 times more abundant than it is now. It was the foundation of the food web in San Francisco Bay,' Levi Lewis, a UC Davis fish ecologist who studies longfin and delta smelt, said Wednesday. 'It was abundant along the entire coastline of the Bay Area.' Important species such as chinook salmon, halibut and sturgeon, along with many birds and marine mammals, depend on the fish, Lewis said. While longfin smelt exists as far north as Alaska, the population in San Francisco Bay has been found to be genetically distinct. Lewis said having that kind of diversity and ability to adapt to different conditions is important for the resilience of the entire species as it faces climate change. 'Diversity begets stability,' he said. 'And stability begets population resilience.'
Yahoo
03-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
California base home to new unit that ‘represents the future of the Air Force'
Beale Air Force Base will be home to a new mission that could return the Northern California installation to the forefront of defense technology. Beale, near Marysville in Yuba County, was announced as the home of the Air Force's new Collaborative Combat Aircraft's readiness unit and its semiautonomous, unmanned aircraft, a mission that Air Force leaders and California lawmakers are calling a milestone. One of the mission's ultimate goals, said Air Force officials: 'delivering combat power at a fraction of the cost of traditional fighters.' 'This is a major win for Beale AFB and a vote of confidence in the capabilities of our region,' said Rep. Doug LaMalfa, R-Richvale, in a statement Friday announcing the move. 'These aircraft represent the future of the Air Force —autonomous, highly capable, and ready to deploy at a moment's notice. This new mission not only solidifies Beale's role in our national defense, but also brings new technology and investment to our region.' LaMalfa and California Sen. Adam Schiff worked to bring the unit to Northern California. The Beale site beat out Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada and North Dakota's Grand Forks Air Force Base for the technologically advanced unit. The two lawmakers toured Beale just weeks ago ahead of the Air Force's announcement, LaMalfa's office said. 'When we visited Beale Air Force Base just a couple weeks ago, I met committed California servicemembers working to protect our nation and apply new technologies to the adapting threats we face,' Schiff is quoted in the statement. 'As the West Coast remains on the front line for deterring adversaries in the Pacific and the home of the nation's technological innovation, I'm proud to see Yuba County at the tip of the spear for promoting America's national security.' Two aircraft, the YFQ-42A and YFQ-44A, are undergoing ground testing to evaluate engine performance, avionics and other metrics before moving to flight testing later this year, said Air Force officials. A decision on production of the aircraft is expected in 2026. 'This phase bridges the gap between design and flight, boosting confidence and laying the groundwork for a successful first flight and eventual fielding to the warfighter,' U.S. Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David W. Allvin said in a statement. 'We're moving fast because the warfighter needs this capability,' Allvin said. 'These aircraft will help us turn readiness into operational dominance.' The ability to take combat-ready aircraft to the skies at a moment's notice is a key component of Beale's new mission. Efficiency is just as important, said Air Force officials in informational materials detailing the new unit. The new unmanned aircraft means fewer sorties or training missions to maintain flight readiness. The aircraft will be ready to fly at any time, but minimally flown so fewer airmen will be needed to support the fleet, Air Force officials said. The incoming unit marks a reunion of sorts for the Northern California base. The RQ-4 Global Hawk, the unmanned, remotely-piloted, high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft that supported operations including Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom, patrolled the skies from its Beale Air Force Base home from 2004 until it was pulled from the base in 2022. In addition to its new mission with future unmanned combat aircraft, Beale plays a key role in national defense with several important operations. The base is home to the 9th Reconnaissance Wing and the U-2 'Dragon Lady,' a high-altitude spy plane that gathers intelligence from around the world. These aircraft have even been used recently to monitor the U.S.-Mexico border. Beale also supports aerial refueling with KC-135 tankers, which help other aircraft stay in the air longer. The base will host to its annual air and space expo June 7-8. Tickets and more information are available at
Epoch Times
01-05-2025
- Automotive
- Epoch Times
House Votes to Repeal Biden-Era Truck Emission Waivers Granted to California
The House of Representatives passed two resolutions on Wednesday repealing waivers issued by the Biden administration to California, which allowed the state to impose zero-emission mandates and stringent emission regulations. The proposals will now move on to the Senate, where they need to get approved before President Donald Trump can consider signing them. The issue stems from a 'unique exemption' granted to California for the Clean Air Act (CAA), a federal law that regulates air emissions in the country, Rep. Doug LaMalfa's (R-Calif.) office said in an April 3 CAA generally prohibits states from setting up their own tailpipe emission standards for trucks and cars. However, California can get an exemption if it submits a waiver to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and receives approval. The waiver enables the state to establish its own emissions regulations. The two Congressional Review Act resolutions targeted two EPA waivers. The first resolution, H.J. Related Stories 4/23/2025 4/30/2025 ACT sets zero-emission vehicle quotas for truck manufacturers and sellers. By 2035, 55 percent of Class 2B-3 trucks, 75 percent of Class 4-8 straight trucks, and 40 percent of tractor trucks sold in the state must be zero-emission. The House passed H.J. Res. 87 by a vote of 231–191, thus repealing this EPA waiver. The second resolution, H.J. The rule requires medium- and heavy-duty trucks and other engines to reduce their NOx emissions by 75 percent below the current standards for Model Year 2024–2026 vehicles. Particulate matter emissions also had to be reduced by 50 percent. The House passed H.J. Res. 89 by 225–196, repealing this EPA waiver as well. According to the statement from LaMalfa's office, the issue with these waivers was that once California implemented ACT and the NOx rules, other states would follow suit and adopt the regulations under the Clean Air Act. 'Currently, about a dozen states follow California's emissions policies, effectively turning the state's regulations into a nationwide mandate,' it said. LaMalfa had also co-led another Congressional Review Act resolution, H.J. Res. 88, which seeks to repeal the EPA waiver allowing California to impose its Advanced Clean Cars II regulations that establish zero-emission mandates for new car sales. This is under consideration at the House. The lawmaker called the California regulations a 'direct assault' on people living and working in the state. 'These regulations drive up costs, limit consumer choice, and force trucking and automotive industries into an impossible transition timeline. Californians are already paying some of the highest fuel and energy costs in the country. These rules are causing the cost of new and used cars and trucks to increase for everyone,' he said. 'If you want to buy an electric vehicle, buy one, but everybody else shouldn't be forced into this mandate. The Federal Government cannot allow one state to destroy the American car and truck market.' Activist group Earthjustice criticized the use of Congressional Review Act resolutions to repeal EPA waivers granted to California, according to an April 30 Raul Garcia, vice president of policy and legislation at Earthjustice, called the House vote a 'reckless abuse' of the Congressional Review Act. 'While today's vote is a short-term and symbolic victory for executives in the oil and gas industry, it won't change the course of the country's inevitable transition to healthy and efficient electric vehicles.' In an April 30 'Trucks today produce 99 percent fewer nitrogen oxide and particulate matter emissions than those on the road decades ago, and new trucks cut carbon emissions by over 40 percent compared to a truck manufactured in 2010.' 'As a result, 60 of today's trucks emit what just one truck did in 1988,' it said. ATA President & CEO Chris Spear said California must not be allowed to establish policies affecting interstate supply chains.
Yahoo
01-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
House removes federal protection for an endangered species
WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) – House lawmakers Thursday passed a bill to remove federal protections for a fish that has become a flashpoint in the debate over California's water resources. The roughly three-inch long longfin smelt that swims in the San Francisco Bay-Delta has members of Congress split. 'They're turning a small fish into a very large scapegoat,' Rep. Jared Huffman (D-Calif.) said. 'The latest weapon to take water away from farmers,' Rep. Doug LaMalfa (R-Calif.) said. California Republican Doug LaMalfa and Democrat Jared Huffman traded barbs Thursday over Republican efforts to remove the endangered species status for the fish. 'Only about 1% of the population is left. That's like the number of environmentalists left in the Republican party these days,' Huffman said. 'It seems like we're in parallel universes when I hear him starting to talk about defending agriculture,' LaMalfa said. LaMalfa led the push to take the fish off the Endangered Species List after it was added under the Biden administration last summer. The designation aims to help recover the fish by ensuring it gets enough freshwater. The House voted 216-195 to undo that Thursday. LaMalfa says he doesn't think the listing is justified and believes it'll lead to less water for farmers in the Central Valley, and as a result, fewer crops. 'And that will be denied to the whole country,' LaMalfa said. Huffman says protecting the species is about more than any one fish but preserving a whole water supply that millions rely on. 'It's about protecting the ecological health of the entire Bay-Delta,' Huffman said. 'Its health underpins clean drinking water for millions.' Huffman says the House's vote is a distraction. 'The real threats to rural America, to water security and the livelihoods of American farmers are trade wars,' Huffman said. The resolution now heads to the Senate. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
01-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
House Republicans vote to remove California fish from endangered species list
House Republicans passed a measure Thursday that would repeal the government's decision to place California's longfin smelt, a finger-sized fish, on the endangered species list. House members passed the resolution, introduced by California Rep. Doug LaMalfa (D-Richvale), in a 216-195 vote that followed party lines. The resolution now goes to the Republican-controlled Senate. 'We want to block the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's misguided decision to list the San Francisco Bay Delta population of the longfin smelt as being endangered,' LaMalfa, who represents a rice-growing region in Northern California, said before the vote. He said the agency's decision last year to declare the fish species endangered was 'unscientific' and said it's making it harder to deliver water from the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta to farmers. The resolution was condemned by Democrats, who said the resolution goes against science and years of study by federal wildlife officials. 'They're turning a small fish into a very large scapegoat, pretending it will somehow provide real support to farmers,' said Rep. Jared Huffman (D-San Rafael). 'The longfin population has declined over 99% since the 1980s,' Huffman said. 'The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service followed the law, the data and the science, just as Congress intended.' Read more: Another California fish is added to the federal endangered species list The resolution would repeal the Fish and Wildlife Service's 2024 decision under provisions of the 1996 Congressional Review Act, which enables Congress to review and disapprove rules adopted by agencies under certain circumstances. The measure will next be considered by the Senate, where opponents said they fear it could also be passed. If approved and signed by President Trump, it would be the first action by Congress to use its authority under the 1996 law to strip protections from a species under the Endangered Species Act. Longfin smelt, which live in bays and estuaries along the Pacific Coast, are the sixth fish species in the San Francisco Bay estuary to be added to the federal endangered species list. The fish once filled the bay, but federal wildlife officials declared the population endangered after determining it had suffered a drastic decline. The agency's decision followed a lengthy process that began with a 2007 petition submitted by environmental groups and that involved several lawsuits. The fish were listed by California as threatened in 2009. Environmental groups said the decline of the longfin smelt, along with other fish species including Delta smelt and Chinook salmon, is linked to water management policies that have reduced flows through the estuary and contributed to worsening water quality. 'The resolution would essentially condemn San Francisco Bay's longfin smelt to extinction,' said Jon Rosenfield, science director for the group San Francisco Baykeeper. 'Removing protections for this fish would also be a blow to other imperiled fish populations, fisheries, and clean water in the Delta.' This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
