Orrin Hatch: “I rise today to speak out against the abuse of the Executive authority. Before I do, I want to compliment the…”

“I rise today to speak out against the abuse of the Executive authority. Before I do, I want to compliment the distinguished Senator from Alaska for his cogent remarks here today on the floor. He is one of the great new additions to this body, and he ought to be listened to. I personally respect him and appreciate the words he said here today. Antiquities Act Mr. President, I rise today to speak out against the abuse of Executive authority under the Antiquities Act. Over the last two decades, past Presidents have exploited the law in the extreme, using it as a pretext to enact some of the most egregious land grabs in our Nation's history. My home State of Utah has been hit especially hard by this Federal overreach. Time and again, Presidents have abused their power under the Antiquities Act to proclaim massive monument designations--to lock away millions of acres of public land. My State has fallen victim to not one but two catastrophic monument designations. These designations were made unilaterally, without any input whatever from our congressional delegation or even the local Utahans whose lives would be directly affected by such decisions. Rather than advancing the important cause of conservation, these national monuments have come to symbolize Washington at its worst. How did we get here? How did a century-old law, which is intended to give Presidents only limited authority to designate special landmarks, become a blunt instrument for Executive overreach?…”