The Trump administration and congressional Republicans have spent the last year trying to weaken the Endangered Species Act, America’s cornerstone environmental legislation. But one of their boldest attempts has hit a roadblock.

US House Republicans abruptly canceled a scheduled vote on Wednesday – Earth Day – for legislation that would codify many of President Trump's moves to reduce endangered species protections. Some lawmakers from tourism-dependent areas along the Gulf of Mexico expressed concerns about the bill, with Representative Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.) posting: “Don’t tread on my turtles. Protected means protected.”

The vote cancellation comes weeks after the Trump administration issued a controversial – and legally questionable – exemption allowing oil and gas drilling in the Gulf of Mexico to bypass conservation measures required by the Endangered Species Act. The ESA Amendments Act, introduced by Representative Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.), would limit habitat protections, require economic and national security analyses when determining whether to list a plant or animal as endangered or threatened, extend listing decision deadlines, and fast-track delisting processes.

The nonprofit Defenders of Wildlife released a letter signed by over 275 organizations urging representatives to vote no. Mary Beth Beetham, director of legislative affairs at the group, said: “The canceled vote is a signal that the proponents of this bill finally got the message that this bill is just wildly out of step with where the American public is.”