Despite the narrative of my Republican colleagues, our national monuments are popular and will not go down without a fight.

Let me say that, any executive action to abolish existing monuments will be met with significant opposition from the American people.

Both Grand Staircase-Escalante and Bears Ears were designated in the face of unanimous opposition from the congressional delegation, the governor, and local counties.

The previous administration prioritized legacy building over the lives and livelihoods of small, rural communities.

It is appalling that non-local voices have drowned out those who treasure this land the most.

no one person should have the authority to lock up millions of acres of land with the stroke of a pen.

No president strayed further away from this intent than President Obama, who used the Act to lock up over 553.4 million acres of land and water.

This Subcommittee has set three over-arching principles for this Congress: To restore public access to public lands; to restore sound management to public lands; and to restore the Federal Government as a good neighbor to local communities…

I think the whole concept with the monuments, which I would not have nearly the problem with, is the size of the designations.

The purpose of the Act was to give presidents the ability to quickly protect archeological sites from looting.

monuments are a very important part of our culture, serving as a reminder of our history, and memorializing significant historical events.