Interview with Sen. Tillis: A Deeper Dive

ConservAmerica Senior Advisor Quill Robinson recently caught up with Roosevelt Conservation Caucus member Senator Thom Tillis (R-NC), where we heard his thoughts on two bills: the Recovering America’s Wildlife Act (RAWA) and the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). Before diving into policy specifics, Tillis reminded us of a critical point we often stress: conservatives have always placed a high value on protecting America’s nature and wildlife. However, we believe the best environmental solutions come from enabling action from individuals and state/local governments rather than one-size-fits-all controls from Washington, DC. 

America’s wildlife species are in crisis—40 percent of freshwater fish and a third of plant species are at risk, to name a few. RAWA sets out to reverse the decline by empowering states, territories, and Tribal Nations to lead wildlife conservation efforts, intervening before species require “the emergency room measures of the Endangered Species Act.” Tillis alluded to Benjamin Franklin’s infamous observation that “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure,” meaning that, since endangered species efforts incur high costs, proactive investment before it gets to that point is the fiscally responsible approach.

RAWA would delegate up to $1.4 billion annually to states, territories, and Tribal Nations to lead wildlife conservation efforts. These local efforts have proven track records of success, but they are underfunded as they mostly rely on revenues from state hunting and fishing licenses and excise taxes on related equipment. Unfortunately, the number of licenses has stagnated in recent decades as they’ve gotten more expensive. We should better incentivize young generations to engage with nature by supplementing the current system with RAWA funding rather than increasing financial barriers to access to recreation.

While RAWA has strong bipartisan support but little media coverage, the IRA was passed on strictly partisan grounds and received significant coverage. However, as Sen. Tillis mentioned, there are good, bipartisan policies within the IRA, but they are undermined by detrimental prescriptive mandates and coercion from the left. Furthermore, the fact that creating the IRA was such a one-sided process makes it more vulnerable to repeal when Republicans are back in control. As we’ve recently opined in The Hill and RealClearEnergy, if Republicans regain control next year, they should take a more pragmatic, surgical approach to the IRA to unlock its potential as a good return on taxpayer’s investment. 

At ConservAmerica, we believe that RAWA and the IRA are critical legislative tools for America’s future. However, both parties need to put aside partisanship and work together to give these bills a chance of success. That’s why we are grateful for leaders like Sen. Tillis who share this vision.