A Nevada congressman says he's offended by Interior Secretary Sally Jewell's claim that some western lawmakers are playing politics with the sage grouse.
Republican Mark Amodei says the Obama administration is to blame for the conflict over the chicken-sized bird.
He says Jewell and others should be doing more to try to keep it off the list of endangered species.
Jewell says U.S. wildlife officials will decide next year whether the sage grouse needs protections even though Congress has blocked such protections from taking effect. She says it's disappointing that some lawmakers are "more interested in political posturing than finding solutions."
Amodei says Jewell should show some respect for all the hard work many ranchers and others are putting in to try to protect the grouse without devastating local economies.
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