Dick Durbin: “The Nickles amendment is a historic vote. Since 1906, virtually every President of the United States has used the…”

“The Nickles amendment is a historic vote. Since 1906, virtually every President of the United States has used the Antiquities Act to protect valuable, irreplaceable national treasures, such as the Grand Tetons and Olympic National Park. With this Nickles amendment, the party of Teddy Roosevelt officially abandons its commitment to his environmental legacy. Without as much of a minute of hearings on this issue, the Nickles amendment strips the President of the authority he has had for generations to protect America's natural and national treasures. The Grand Old Party works overtime to protect the legacy of the wealthy from taxation but refuses to protect the legacies of meadows, rivers, mountains, and forests for our children. Vote ``no'' on the Nickles amendment.”