WASHINGTON, D.C. — March 27, 2026 — The Endangered Species Coalition will join conservation groups and allies Tuesday morning at the press event and protest outside the U.S. Department of the Interior to oppose the Trump administration’s sudden convening of the Endangered Species Committee, often called the “God Squad.”

The rarely used federal panel, which has not met in more than 30 years, is scheduled to hold a closed-door meeting on March 31 to consider a sweeping exemption from the Endangered Species Act for offshore oil and gas activities in the Gulf of Mexico. The Trump Administration is seeking a sweeping exemption that would put imperiled species, including the critically endangered Gulf Rice’s whale and sea turtles, at even greater risk.

“The Rice’s whale is one of the most endangered species in the world, with only 51 individuals, all in the Gulf. President Trump is seeking to play God with the Rice’s whale and other endangered species in the name of expanding oil and gas development. No Administration, Republican or Democrat, has ever sought such a sweeping exemption from the Endangered Species Act,” said Susan Holmes, Executive Director of the Endangered Species Coalition. “This closed-door effort to weaken protections for whales, sea turtles, and the Gulf ecosystem is a direct threat to wildlife already struggling to survive. Decisions about endangered species must be guided by science, not politics or corporate pressure.”

Advocates at Tuesday’s protest will call on the administration to abandon this dangerous end-run around the Endangered Species Act and reject any exemption that would sacrifice vulnerable wildlife and habitat for the profits of the offshore oil and gas industry. This year, the U.S. oil and gas industry is estimated to receive roughly $63 billion in additional income from oil output.

For more than 50 years, the ESA has protected wildlife on the brink of extinction and helped countless species move toward recovery. The law has prevented the extinction of 99% of listed species and continues to reflect the overwhelming support of the American people for science-based conservation.

“The Gulf of Mexico is home to extraordinary wildlife and ecosystems that cannot be replaced once lost,” Holmes said. “At a time of accelerating biodiversity loss, we should be strengthening protections for endangered species, not reviving an ‘Extinction Committee’to help polluters evade accountability. The Trump Administration should not be determining the fate of our most endangered wildlife.”

What:

Protest and press event opposing Trump’s “Extinction Committee”

When:

9:00 a.m., Tuesday, March 31, 2026

Where:

Outside the U.S. Department of the Interior, C Street Entrance
1849 C St. NW, Washington, D.C. 20240

Who:

Members of Congress, Endangered Species Coalition, Center for Biological Diversity, Sierra Club, Defenders of Wildlife, Oceana, Ocean Defense Initiative, Animal Welfare Institute, Creation Justice Ministries, America the Beautiful for All Coalition, former federal employees, and allies