Whereas Congress passed the Endangered Species Act of 1973 ( 16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq. ) (referred to in this preamble as the Endangered Species Act ) in December of 1973 by a vote of 92–0 in the Senate and 355–4 in the House of Representatives; Whereas President Richard Nixon, upon signing the Endangered Species Act into law, stated, Nothing is more priceless and more worthy of preservation than the rich array of animal life with which our country has been blessed. It is a many-faceted treasure, of value to scholars, scientists, and nature lovers alike, and it forms a vital part of the heritage we all share as Americans [and] which we hold in trust to countless future generations of our fellow citizens. ; Whereas decades of polling have shown strong bipartisan support for the Endangered Species Act, with more than 4 out of 5 citizens of the United States in favor of it; Whereas the Endangered Species Act is one of the most successful conservation laws ever enacted by any country, and 99 percent of species protected under the Act have been saved from extinction, including the humpback whale, grizzly bear, and bald eagle; Whereas thanks to the Endangered Species Act, gray whales still swim our coasts, peregrine falcons still soar our skies, and polar bears still roam the Arctic tundra; Whereas the Endangered Species Act is currently helping protect and recover more than 2,000 species of plants and animals that are threatened or endangered; Whereas the Endangered Species Act provides added benefits to people by maintaining healthy natural systems that provide us with clean air and water, food, medicines, and other benefits that we all need to live healthy lives; Whereas the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services published a study in 2019 that estimated that 25 percent of assessed taxa of plants and animals and 10 percent of insects, which account for 75 percent of all species, could be threatened with extinction