Reid Pushes for Further Abuse of Antiquities Act

WASHINGTON (April 8, 2016) – Yesterday morning, Senator Harry Reid (D-Nev.) boasted on the Senate floor that he is actively lobbying the White House to lock off yet another large western landscape using the Antiquities Act, stating that, “Congress created the Antiquities Act to empower the president to protect our culture, our historic and natural resources when and where Congress cannot or will not."

Below is a statement by PLC President Brenda Richards regarding Sen. Harry Reid’s unapologetic demand for further Antiquities Act abuse.

“This is further illustration that the Antiquities Act – originally intended to protect artifacts and American Indian Ruins – has been weaponized by the administration to punish rural communities. Senator Reid is out of line; instead of engaging local communities and advocating for appropriate economic and environmental review, he is asking the President to make a unilateral, punitive decision in order to settle a political score. This is precisely why the Antiquities Act is in dire need of reform.”