Voters Overwhelmingly Support the Recovering America’s Wildlife Act
By Sabrina Jacobs
Currently, there are over 1,300 threatened or endangered species in the United States. When a species becomes extinct, it affects our nation’s biodiversity and puts other ecosystems at risk. Plants, animals, and humans are intrinsically interconnected, and it’s important that wildlife is protected from the effects of climate change, illegal hunting, and the destruction of natural habitats.
In response to the endangered species crisis, the Senate is on the verge of passing a landmark bill that would provide nearly $1.4 billion in funding toward conservation and restoring wildlife populations. The Recovering America’s Wildlife Act (RAWA) passed the House in June and has 16 Republican co-sponsors in the Senate. The act, which is the biggest piece of wildlife conservation legislation since the Endangered Species Act of 1973, would provide funding for wildlife conservation education and state conservation strategies.
A new poll by Data for Progress finds that voters across party lines overwhelmingly support the Recovering America’s Wildlife Act. Eighty-six percent of voters support RAWA and investing in efforts at the local level to save wildlife, including 92 percent of Democrats, 85 percent of Independents, and 83 percent of Republicans. Public support remains strong, as this finding builds upon a December 2021 Data for Progress poll that found 84 percent of voters support the bill.
RAWA would have an immediate impact on local and state efforts to protect wildlife. Conservation is a crucial issue that affects everyone, and it’s clear that Democrats, Independents, and Republicans agree on the importance of saving endangered species. Over the years, conservation efforts have fallen to the wayside, but RAWA provides Congress with an opportunity to course-correct and invest in wildlife conservation. Furthermore, the legislation enjoys widespread bipartisan support, joining the ranks of other widely popular policies such as the bipartisan Honoring Our PACT Act for veterans and raising Social Security benefits. Lawmakers should move swiftly to pass this landmark bill that enjoys support from Americans across party lines.
Sabrina Jacobs is a digital fellow at Data for Progress.