Bruce F. Vento: “The concern is and the reason is that there is no urgency in terms of this matter, the issue of this matter has been…”

“The concern is and the reason is that there is no urgency in terms of this matter, the issue of this matter has been before the Congress, an introduced measure since the beginning of this Congress. It has been over 3 months actually since this bill, the so called Monument Fairness Act, was acted on by the House Committee on Resources. The effort at this late date and at this time, in fact, to try and squeeze in this bill, as it were, this week or next week simply does not do justice to the nature of the issue that is before us. I say that because this 1906 act, this antiquities law that is proposed to be substantially cut and modified by this proposal, is one of the foundations of modern conservation law in terms of what has happened in this century as our Nation and our people and values came to realize the importance of conserving the great landscapes that make up our Nation which are the legacy of future generations of Americans. It is hardly the time in the 20th century, when we have come to a realization where the United States has led the world, really, in terms of conservation and preservation of these special landscapes, that we would propose at this date to move into the 21st century without extending and maintaining this essential power for the President.”