Political Quotes

“Mr. President, water is one of our most precious resources, and it is vital to life. It is necessary for agriculture, industry, recreation, conservation, the development and growth of cities, and so many aspects of our day-to-day lives. Unfortunately, for States like Utah--States with a lot of Federal land and States that are dry in many areas--our supply for this critical resource, water, is threatened under the Antiquities Act. Why is this the case? Well, let's review the background. Back in 1908, the Supreme Court concluded that, when the Federal Government reserves land for an Indian reservation, it also implicitly reserves sufficient water on that land to fulfill the purposes of the reservation, creating the ``Federal reserved water rights'' doctrine. In later cases, the Court expanded that doctrine to apply to other Federal properties--other Federal properties like national forests and recreation areas. Then, in 1976, the Supreme Court held that the doctrine applied to national monuments created by the President. In other words, it affirmed the President's authority unilaterally to change the legal water rights within a State simply by designating a monument under the Antiquities Act Now, under the Antiquities Act, the President has the authority and the discretion to create a monument, as long as there is Federal land. So it makes a State like mine, 67 percent of which is owned by the Federal Government, a sitting duck for abuse.…”