On March 31, 2026, the federal government convened a high-level meeting of the Endangered Species Committee (known as the “God Squad”), the first in over 30 years. Citing the Secretary of Defense’s finding that the Endangered Species Act (ESA) threatens national security by hindering Gulf of Mexico oil and gas exploration, the committee exempted all such activity across the Gulf from ESA protections. The action was immediately challenged in court, with multiple lawsuits alleging deficiencies in both the procedure and substance of the committee’s decision, and there is immediate concern about impacts on species such as the Rice’s whale. On April 23, 2026, the Environmental Law Institute hosted a panel of leading experts in the ESA, energy law, and national security law to discuss these breaking developments and the legal issues and interests at stake. Here, we present a transcript of that discussion, which has been edited for style, clarity, and space considerations.