mr. chairman , i can not vote for this bill as it stands . 
i support much of the thrust of the original bill . 
i support putting more emphasis on recovery plans and on steps to provide incentives for landowners and other private parties to help with recovering species . 
and the resources committee did make improvements in the original bill . 
unfortunately , though , other needed amendments were not approved -- and as a result i concluded that the bill 's defects were still so numerous and so serious that it should not be approved without further changes . 
that was why i supported the bipartisan substitute . 
had it been adopted , we would have kept the best parts of the bill as reported -- including the authorization for reimbursement for livestock losses that i supported in the resources committee -- and made the further improvements that were needed for it to deserve approval by the full house of representatives . 
unfortunately , that did not occur , so we are left with a bill that does not include those improvements . 
proponents of the reported bill say the endangered species act has led to too many lawsuits . 
but according to the bush administration 's analysis of the bill as reported , `` the new definition of jeopardy in the bill , as well as various statutory deadlines , may generate new litigation and further divert agency resources from conservation purposes. '' the substitute did not have the same problems . 
similarly , the substitute did not include the reported bill 's vague provisions that would set up a new entitlement program -- a program without clear boundaries that would increase federal spending to an extent that can not be easily calculated . 
those provisions worry the bush administration , which has told us that they `` provide little discretion to federal agencies and could result in a significant budgetary impact. '' and after reviewing the bill as reported , the nonpartisan budget watchdog group , taxpayers for common sense , concluded that `` this legislation is rife with loopholes and vague wording that have the potential to cost taxpayers billions of dollars , and must be revised. '' i supported the bipartisan substitute because it would have made the revisions necessary to close those loopholes . 
nonetheless , while i can not support the bill today , i am hopeful that it will be further improved as the legislative process continues and that the result will be legislation to revise the endangered species act that i can support and that will deserve the support of every member of congress . 
