Press Releases

Washington, D.C. (February 4, 2014) –On the same day President Obama delivered his fifth State of the Union address, Congressional Democrats sought to stop a bill that would have created nearly 74,000 acres of new wilderness.  The partisan showdown at the Natural Resources Committee was right in line with President Obama’s anti-Congress narrative during his speech.  In his speech, President Obama threatened local communities and Congressional leaders by saying he would “use his authority [under the Antiquities Act] to protect more of our pristine federal lands for future generations."

During the Natural Resources Committee’s markup of the Northern Nevada Conservation and Economic Development Act, ranking member Peter DeFazio (D-OR) led efforts to block the bill’s passage.  Despite his best efforts, the bill cleared the committee by a bipartisan vote of 29-14, including a “yes” vote from one of the bill’s main sponsors, and local congressman, Democratic Representative Stephen Horsford.  The Ranking Member’s opposition and lack of unanimous support, however, limits the bill’s prospects for passage in the future; which sets up the preferred outcome for those who favor unilateral declarations under the Antiquities Act.  

In a recent letter led by Congressman DeFazio there was this line: “In today’s deeply partisan environment, it’s becoming nearly impossible for Congress to make critical conservation decisions.” We would dismiss that claim, as a bipartisan group was able to put aside their differences and work to protect nearly 74,000 acres of new wilderness lands despite the efforts of the author of that letter.

Had Democrats supported the bill’s home state sponsor, the President’s anti-Congressional tone and the line used in Congressman Peter DeFazio’s letter would be discredited. Unfortunately, that is not the case. We issue four bulls for the Democrats’ not-so-subtle effort to boost arguments in support of the Antiquities Act.  

We’ll give a bonus bull for the Democrats’ hypocrisy and their inability to look themselves in the mirror as the root cause of the “deeply partisan environment”.

Our rating: