Press Releases

Today, Members of the Western Caucus released the following statements after the Senate confirmation of Aurelia Skipwith to be Director of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS):

"The Fish & Wildlife Service plays a critical role for Arizona, and with Aurelia Skipwith at the helm, I am confident it will thrive. Skipwith, who is the first African-American to lead USFWS is battle-tested and I'm grateful to President Trump for nominating her. I look forward to working with Ms. Skipwith and congratulate her on her confirmation," said Chairman Paul Gosar (AZ-04).

"I congratulate Aurelia Skipwith on her successful confirmation as the Director for the Fish and Wildlife Service. Her diverse background and keen insight into policy makes her well-suited to lead the agency into the future. I look forward to working with her in this new role," said Chairman Emeritus Rob Bishop (UT-01).

"I would like to offer my sincere congratulations to Aurelia Skipwith on her confirmation. Leading the Fish & Wildlife Service is no easy task, but I am optimistic that Ms. Skipwith’s leadership will help provide the oversight necessary to keep the federal government from interfering in Alaska," said Vice-Chairman for Indian Affairs and Oceans Don Young (AK-At Large).

"Deputy Assistant Secretary Skipwith is a leader that Wyoming can count on to support President Trump’s deregulatory agenda, including rolling back the damage done by the Obama administration in our state and throughout the West. Her work skillfully confronting contentious wildlife and public lands issues of the West makes her a fantastic pick to be Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. I am glad the Senate voted to confirm her to that position today, and I look forward to working with her on our shared agenda," said House Republican Conference Chair Liz Cheney (WY-At Large).

"Ms. Skipwith has already been a fantastic asset to the Fish and Wildlife Service through her position as Deputy Assistant Secretary, and her well-deserved confirmation to director is welcome news. She’s shown commitment to good stewardship of our country’s wildlife, and I look forward to working with her in her new leadership role," said Chief Infrastructure and Forestry Officer Bruce Westerman (AR-04).

"Director Skipwith will be a strong leader for the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, which plays a critical role in managing Central Washington’s natural heritage. From implementing conservation measures to promoting recreational opportunities, Fish & Wildlife is an important partner in the stewardship of our public lands. As we work to make progress on Western priorities, I am particularly confident that—under Director Skipwith’s leadership—we can modernize the Endangered Species Act to bring this law into the 21st Century and reinforce the role of states and local communities in these important management decisions," said Chief Rules Officer Dan Newhouse (WA-04).

"Thank you to President Trump and for nominating such a qualified candidate in Aurelia Skipwith, and to the Senate for rightfully confirming her. I look forward to working closely with future Director Skipwith on delisting the Gray Wolves and ensuring the Endangered Species Act helps instead of harms northern Minnesota," said Congressman Pete Stauber (MN-08).

"I applaud the Senate for confirming Aurelia Skipwith as the next Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. I look forward to working with Director Skipwith as we work towards establishing the Western Riverside County Wildlife Refuge and continue to balance the many competing interests in the implementation of the Endangered Species Act," said Congressman Ken Calvert (CA-42).

"The Fish and Wildlife Service is a critical agency for Kansas, helping to preserve our wildlife, environment and quality of life. I congratulate Director Skipwith on her confirmation and look forward to working with her and the Trump administration on priorities for the Fourth District including supporting the Quivira National Wildlife Refuge," said Congressman Ron Estes (KS-04).

"I’ve worked closely with the Fish and Wildlife Service on critical issues of importance to the 1st District of Kentucky, namely to mitigate the threat posed by Asian Carp to Kentucky’s waterways. I congratulate Aurelia Skipwith on her confirmation to this important post, and I look forward to working with her in the coming years to advance President Trump’s priorities for the American people," said Congressman James Comer (KY-01).

"I congratulate Ms. Skipwith on her confirmation. As Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, she will continue to build on the successes the Interior Department has shown thus far under the leadership of Secretary David Bernhardt. I look forward to working with Ms. Skipwith and the Administration to return local control to Minnesota farmers and landowners by focusing on ESA reform, and finally removing the gray wolf from the list of endangered species," said Congressman Tom Emmer (MN-06).

"I applaud President Trump’s choice of Aurelia Skipwith as Director of the Fish and Wildlife Service. Director Skipwith is an excellent pick for this position and I look forward to continue working with FWS, with her at the helm, on issues affecting Kansans, like the management of the Quivira National Wildlife Refuge, modernizing the Endangered Species Act, and other wetland protection and conservation efforts," said Congressman Roger Marshall (KS-01).

Courtesy of the Department of Interior:

Ms. Skipwith has served as the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Fish Wildlife and Parks since April 2017. Previously, she served as Assistant Corporate Counsel at Alltech, Inc., an all-natural animal nutrition company that operates worldwide and has the world’s largest algae production system. She then became general counsel at AVC Global, an agricultural logistics and financing firm that she co-founded. Skipwith earned her B.S. in biology from Howard University, M.S. in molecular biology from Purdue University, and J.D. from the University of Kentucky College of Law.

Read letters of support for Skipwith HERE.