Summary

Sustained efforts to stem the introduction and spread of invasive species led to positive gains in 2004. The National Aquatic Invasive Species Act (NAISA) garnered additional bill sponsors and was supported by thousands of UCS activists. Although this important legislation did not come to a vote in 2004, several other invasive species votes did occur. UCS activists were critical in increasing the visibility of invasive species issues among members of Congress and have helped lay the groundwork for positive steps in 2005.

National Aquatic Invasive Species Act

The National Aquatic Invasive Species Act (NAISA), a bill focused on preventing unintentional introductions of aquatic species into the waters of the United States, was introduced in Congress in 2003. It aims to renew and improve a previous law, the National Invasive Species Act (NISA), by strengthening protections for all of the nation's waters, requiring for the first time that some organisms be checked for invasiveness before import, establishing a program to detect new invasive species, providing the means to respond quickly after detection, and supporting research needed to move technology and policy forward.

While UCS was disappointed that NAISA did not receive a vote in either the Senate or the House of Representatives during the last year, progress was made. Twenty-two senators became co-sponsors of NAISA. In the House, more than 100 representatives co-sponsored one or both of two NAISA-related bills. One of these bills, H.R. 1081, was passed out of the House Science Committee.

These developments have laid the groundwork for passage of a strong NAISA early in 2005. The bills' champions, Senator Carl Levin (D-MI), Representative Wayne Gilchrest (R-MD), and Representative Vernon Ehlers (R-MI) are expected to re-introduce their respective bills. UCS will call on our activists to increase the number of co-sponsors for these bills, call for early hearings, and pressure Congress for passage.

See our NAISA page to learn more about the history and design of this bill.

House of Representatives' vote on forest pests

In July, the U.S. House of Representatives approved two amendments to the Agriculture Appropriations bill that increased funding to the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service for the eradication of two harmful invasive species, the Asian longhorned beetle and Sudden Oak Death. The approval of these two amendments were significant events, in part because this was the first-ever roll call vote on invasive species, putting representatives on record on this important issue. To highlight for members of Congress the importance this issue, UCS activists sent more than 7,000 emails to their representatives. These emails either thanked their representatives for a "Yes" vote or expressed disappointment in a "No" vote.

Senate funding letter

During the summer of 2004, the Senate was also active on the issue of invasive species. Thirteen senators wrote to members of the Agricultural Appropriations Subcommittee to increase funding for a potentially devastating forest and urban pest, the Asian longhorned beetle. UCS activists in states with a signing senator contacted their senator(s) to thank them for their leadership on invasive species issues. In the end, Congress appropriated too little money for Asian long-horned beetle programs but the funding was more than triple what President Bush requested.