House cancels bid to weaken Endangered Species Act amid drilling concerns

Republicans pushed to codify Trump-era weakenings of the Endangered Species Act, but a House vote on the ESA Amendments Act was abruptly canceled amid concerns in tourism‑dependent districts; critics say the bill would undermine habitat protections and hinder species recovery, while pointing to a Gulf of Mexico drilling exemption as evidence of politics over science and warning it could imperil ecotourism economies like Florida’s even if a future administration reverses some actions.