On the recordFebruary 18, 2011
This is a bad amendment. Presidents of both parties have used this act to increase protection to lands and waters that are already U.S. Government controlled. The act has no impact on private lands. It's a law that was passed by a Republican-led Congress and signed by a Republican President, Theodore Roosevelt. Since then, 15 U.S. Presidents have declared 131 national monuments under the act--eight Republican Presidents, seven Democratic Presidents. It must be remembered that the lands withdrawn are Federal lands owned by all Americans--not just the residents of certain States or localities in which they happen to be located. The Nation, not just a single State, has a vital interest in the future of these lands and their unique qualities.
