Representatives Carbajal, Panetta send letter to Interior Department – On June 29, Congressmen Salud Carbajal (D-Santa Barbara) and Jimmy Panetta (D-Carmel Valley) sent a letter with their House colleagues to Interior Secretary Deb Haaland urging her to use her emergency authority under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) to save the western monarch butterfly. Earlier this year, President Biden ordered the Department of Interior to review the previous administration’s decision to delay protections for monarch butterflies until 2024 or later. Unfortunately, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service decided to maintain the status quo, putting the future of this beautiful and iconic species in jeopardy. The undersigned Members of Congress are calling on Secretary Haaland to reverse course and dedicate every available tool, including the ESA, to preserving the monarch butterfly population before it is too late.