Rep. Stewart’s amendment to block the creation of new national monuments in Utah and in other areas, passed during a U.S. House Interior Appropriations Committee Mark Up.
This amendment will now be officially included in the Interior Appropriations Bill, which is expected to be voted on by House of Representatives this summer.
This is a critical amendment as speculation is rising that President Obama plans to designate a new Bears Ears National Monument, ignoring local opposition and Rep. Bishop’s Public Land Initiative.
“With the passage of this amendment, we are one step closer to preventing any President from creating new national monuments in Utah and in other areas where there is strong opposition,” Stewart said. “I am a strong supporter of preserving our national treasures, but when dealing with such huge areas of land – like has been proposed with Bears Ears – I believe we must have local and congressional input. Using the Antiquities Act as a political weapon is bad policy and furthers the distrust that exists between Americans and the Federal government.”
Watch Congressman Stewart defend his amendment in the following videos:
Rep. Stewart’s Opening Statement.
Rep. Stewart’s Closing Statement.
The specific amendment language can be found here.
