Speaker Mike Johnson Yanks H.R. 1897 Threatening 1,700 Species After Bipartisan Revolt

House Speaker Mike Johnson pulled a controversial bill from a House floor vote this week after it sparked pushback from both Republicans and Democrats. The bill, H.R. 1897, would’ve made major changes to the Endangered Species Act. Johnson withdrew it before the vote to avoid a loss on the floor and a split within his own party.

The legislation was called the Endangered Species Act Amendments Act of 2025. Critics said it would’ve weakened protections for threatened and endangered species across the country. Opponents also argued the bill put economic interests ahead of science-based environmental rules. Wildlife is already under pressure from habitat loss, climate change, and pollution. Many conservationists warned the bill would’ve made the extinction crisis worse.

The bill also allegedly included a provision that would’ve blocked people from taking regulatory decisions to court. Critics claimed that groups and individuals couldn’t have challenged government decisions about endangered species in front of a judge. Critics said removing that legal option weakened accountability and made it harder to enforce environmental protections.

Nearly 300 conservation and animal welfare groups signed a letter opposing the bill. Defenders of Wildlife helped organize the unified opposition. Humane World for Animals was among the groups that signed on. Together, they urged House members to vote against the legislation. The broad coalition showed that concern for endangered species isn’t limited to one political side.

The bill was sponsored by Representative Westerman. Johnson had planned to bring it to the floor during the week. It was originally scheduled for a vote on April 22, which is Earth Day. That timing drew sharp criticism and helped mobilize environmental groups even further. Advocacy groups reportedly sent more than 58,000 emails to elected officials urging them to protect the Endangered Species Act.

Johnson’s decision to pull the bill also reflected his weakened standing within the House Republican Conference. He’s faced several procedural vote defeats recently, and pushing forward with a losing bill could’ve made his position even harder. Earlier this week, a procedural vote failed 214-217 after three Republicans broke with their party, effectively freezing House floor activity.

H.R. 1897 would’ve affected protections for an estimated thousands of species. For now, those protections remain in place. The bill’s future in Congress is unclear.

✅ Claims in this article were verified using AI-assisted fact-checking.