Wilkinson to Testify Before Congress on Abuse of EAJA
DeSmet, SD — South Dakota rancher and attorney Todd Wilkinson will testify tomorrow before a United States House Natural Resources subcommittee about how some large environmental groups are misusing the Equal Access to Justice Act. Wilkinson is the past president of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association and the first person from South Dakota to lead the group.
EAJA was created to help small farmers, ranchers, and families speak up when the federal government made a mistake. It was meant to level the playing field and give ordinary people a fair chance in court. Wilkinson will explain how big national groups now use this same law to file long lists of lawsuits, collect large attorney fees, and push federal agencies into costly delays.
“The law was written to protect small producers,” Wilkinson said. “But today it is being used by groups with huge budgets and teams of lawyers. This hurts the people EAJA was supposed to help, and it costs taxpayers millions of dollars.”
Wilkinson said South Dakota producers feel the impact when agencies use time and money on lawsuits instead of serving rural communities.
“Every hour the federal government spends in court is an hour taken away from work that helps families on the ground,” Wilkinson said. “I want Congress to see how this hurts the people who were supposed to have a voice.”
The hearing is scheduled for Wednesday, December 10 at 9:15 am CST. Watch the hearing at:
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