Chellie Pingree: “This amendment would prohibit funding for the establishment of any national monument in Malheur County. The Antiquities…”

“This amendment would prohibit funding for the establishment of any national monument in Malheur County. The Antiquities Act provides the President with the authority to designate national monuments in order to protect objects of historic or scientific interest. Both Republican and Democratic Presidents have used this authority to increase the protection of special Federal lands. This amendment inappropriately restricts the President's ability to declare a national monument in specific parts of the country. It goes against 100 years of American tradition to protect the Nation's cultural and natural resources. The Antiquities Act represents an important achievement in the progress of conservation and preservation efforts in the United States. Congress should not stand in the way of these achievements. Madam Chair, I urge my colleagues to oppose the amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.”