Friday, December 28, 1973. The Endangered Species Act.
On this day in 1973, the Endangered Species Act, having passed by the House of Representatives, 355 to 4, with the only opposing votes coming from Congressmen Earl Landgrebe of Indiana, H. R. Gross of Iowa, Robin Beard of Tennessee and Bob Price of Texas, was signed into law.
The Nixon Administration, now mostly remembered for Watergate, and the duplicitous end to the Vietnam War, had a remarkable record of passing environmental legislation, including this landmark example. Perhaps more remarkable, at this point in time, Wyoming's Congressman, Teno Roncolio, voted for it.
My, how things have changed.
And more amazing yet, Teno Roncalio, was a Democrat, the last Wyoming Democrat to hold that position. For that matter, one of the two Senators from Wyoming, Gale McGee, was as well. McGee is the last member of the Democratic Party to hold that office in Wyoming.
Presently to admit that the ESA is a great piece of litigation is to invite castigation in Wyoming, and the world "Democrat" is nearly slanderous in nature.
