Keystone XL Pipeline Act

Floor Speech

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Ms. CANTWELL. Mr. President, speaking in opposition to this amendment, there is a reason why they call it a national monument. That is because it is a national process, and it is a national decision.

Yes, Presidents of the United States consult with Governors and consult with State legislators, but they are not required to have a bill or the authority of the Governor before they make a national monument.

Nearly half of our national parks, including the Grand Canyon and Olympic National Park, were designated under this Antiquities Act. Sixteen Presidents--eight Republicans and eight Democrats--have designated over 130 national monuments since Teddy Roosevelt signed this act in 1906.

I think it has worked well for the United States of America. Please turn down this amendment.

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Ms. CANTWELL. Mr. President, this is a sweeping attack on millions of acres of land recommended for wilderness. This would nullify much of the Obama administration's plan for the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and would also immediately abolish wilderness studies on BLM lands in 12 Western States. It would also abolish protection for 2.3 million acres in national wildlife refuges. These lands have been refuges, and they should be managed accordingly. So I would ask my colleagues to oppose this amendment.

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Ms. CANTWELL. Mr. President, I wish to thank my colleague from Alaska for her hard work in getting us through this process. I think our colleagues can see the daylight to finishing this up tomorrow, hopefully. I know Members have worked across the aisle on some of these remaining issues, and we are still trying to work a few of them out. So hopefully tomorrow will go as smoothly as today has.

I would like to turn now to my colleague from New Mexico to call up his amendment.

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