U.S. Rep. Colleen Hanabusa says an amendment she supported preserves funding to protect endangered species.

The Democrat representing Hawaii said in a statement Wednesday the U.S. House approved the Dicks-Fitzpatrick-Thompson-Hanabusa Amendment, which eliminates a provision that would have blocked the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service from spending money to list new plants and animals, designate habitat critical to listed species’ survival or increase their protections.

Hanabusa says species would move closer to extinction if the Fish and Wildlife Service didn’t have the ability to list and protect them.

She says the legislation would have made it more expensive and difficult to save endangered species.

Hanabusa says there are 69 candidate species in Hawaii in need of protection.