Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) offered an amendment to S. 1, the Keystone XL Pipeline Act, which would have a chilling effect on citizen enforcement of the Endangered Species Act (ESA), one of American’s most effective and important environmental laws that serves as a safety net for wildlife, fish and plants on the brink of extinction. By subjecting ESA lawsuits to the Equal Access to Justice Act’s below-market cap on legal fees, this amendment would make it more difficult for citizens from across the political spectrum to obtain counsel and challenge illegal government actions. On January 21, the Senate rejected the Lee amendment by a vote of 54-45 (60 votes were needed for passage; Senate roll call vote 7). NO IS THE PRO-ENVIRONMENT VOTE.