Rep. Don Young (R-Alaska) suggested Thursday that if he let loose wolves in some congressional districts, they wouldnt have a homeless problem anymore. (House Committee on Natural Resources)
Alaska Republican Rep. Don Young, famous for his salty tongue and brusque demeanor, suggested Thursday that if he let loose wolves in some congressional districts, they wouldnt have a homeless problem anymore.
The strange comment was made during a halting five-minute exchange with Interior Secretary Sally Jewell during a House Natural Resources Committee hearing on her agencys budget. He accused her and her department of making decisions without consulting the states theyd affect.
Young, who supports taking gray wolves off the endangered species list, mocked a letter 79 members of Congress sent urging Jewell to protect the gray wolf population. (In Alaska, for what its worth, you can hunt wolves.)
How many of you have got wolves in your district? he asked. None. None. Not one.
They havent got a damn wolf in their whole district, Young continued. Id like to introduce them in your district. If I introduced them in your district, you wouldnt have a homeless problem anymore.
We sought clarification to ensure we heard correctly. A spokesman for Young said the analogy was purposely hyperbolic to stress the point that these predators pose serious threats to wildlife management and their listing has damaging impacts to local communities.
Poster Comment:
Echo would probably be alive today, if the eco-nuts hadn't tried to "help" with a radio collar.
Echo was a 3-year old female wolf, according to the Center for Biological Diversity news release. She was given a radio collar after she was previously caught in Wyoming, the center stated.
It also noted that she had "traveled at least 750 miles seeking a mate across a vast region that is entirely bereft of wolves."