mr. chairman , i thank the gentleman for yielding me time .  the time is insufficient , not only to explain my position , but also the time for consideration of this bill has been insufficient .  thirty-two years ago , we passed a bill that a republican president , richard nixon , signed to protect and conserve species in danger of extinction .  unfortunately , though , the underlying bill , which has been fast-tracked since its introduction , would substantially undermine the endangered species act .  that is what this is about .  for example , this bill would undermine the ability of the responsible federal agencies to ably perform their oversight roles , and it fails to recognize the importance of sound science to species recovery and restoration .  the bill also creates a fiscally irresponsible , open-ended entitlement program that effectively pays landowners to comply with the law .  in contrast , the bipartisan substitute offered by the gentleman from california ( mr. george miller )  has a far more reasoned approach .  it ensures consultation between the secretary and other federal agencies with proposed actions that may jeopardize species .  it strengthens the definition of what constitutes jeopardy and requires the secretary to ensure that proposed recovery plans identify and include areas necessary for species survival .  i urge support of the substitute and opposition to the underlying bill .  mr. chairman .  thirty-two years ago , congress passed and a republican president -- richard nixon -- signed the endangered species act to protect and conserve species in danger of extinction .  today , there are 1 , 268 species listed as endangered or threatened in the united states , including 26 in the state of maryland .  this law is not perfect , but it has been very successful .  roughly 40 percent of listed species have witnessed the stabilization or growth of their populations .  and , less than one percent have been declared extinct since the law 's enactment .  the fact is , this law has enabled the very survival of some of our most vulnerable species -- including the bald eagle , the gray wolf , the california condor , and the whooping crane .  unfortunately , though , the underlying bill -- which has been fast-tracked since its introduction last week -- would substantially undermine the endangered species act .  for example , this bill would undermine the ability of the responsible federal agencies -- the departments of commerce and interior -- to ably perform their oversight roles , and it fails to recognize the importance of sound science to species recovery and restoration .  the bill also creates a fiscally irresponsible , open-ended entitlement program that effectively pays landowners to comply with the law .  in contrast , the bipartisan substitute offers a far more reasoned approach .  it ensures consultation between the secretary and other federal agencies with proposed actions that may jeopardize species .  it strengthens the definition of what constitutes jeopardy and requires the secretary to ensure that proposed recovery plans identify and include areas necessary for species survival .  the substitute also creates conservation programs that would provide technical and financial assistance to landowners committed to efforts that protect species .  mr. chairman , we have a responsibility to protect our environment -- as well as the diverse forms of life that share it .  the bipartisan substitute will help us achieve the goal .  i urge my colleagues to support it .  