Ban New National Monuments. Introduced by Senator Don Nickles (R-OK), this amendment is similar to that described in House bill (below), except that it is not retroactive to 1999.
[ Ban New National Monuments. This amendment by Representative James Hansen (R-UT) would ban the use of funds for the implementation of "National Monuments" designated by the president since 1999. President Clinton has used a loophole in the 1906 Antiquities Act to lock up millions of acres of land from human usage. Representative Don Young (R-AK) explained that "this President is using this act … to designate and to dictate the use of lands. Under the Constitution, it says only the Congress shall have that responsibility…. I swore to uphold the Constitution of the United States of America. Yet, we sit in this body and allow this act to be misused by this administration and say, oh, it is to protect those lands…. This is against the Constitution. He is not protecting what should be protected. He, in fact, is running this as a fiefdom and a kingdom." ]
The Senate rejected the Nickles amendment to H.R. 4578 on July 18, 2000 by a vote of 49-50 (Roll Call 208). We have assigned pluses to the yeas.
