Daines Efforts to Stop Unilateral Monument Designations Draws Majority Support

Press Release

Senator Steve Daines' fight to protect Montana from the Obama administration's efforts to unilaterally designate new national monuments without local support today gained majority support on the Senate floor.

Under a vote of 50-47, a majority of U.S. Senators today support Daines' amendment expressing the sense of Congress that that all future National Monument designations should be subject to consultation with local governance and the approval of the Governor and legislature of states in which designation would occur.

"I am encouraged that a majority of the Senate shares Montanans' strong belief that the hardworking Americans most affected by land management decisions deserve to be at the table and have their voices heard -- and not ignored by Washington bureaucrats," Daines stated. "I will continue fighting tirelessly to protect Montanans from President Obama's overreach and ensure that our state's interests are represented in Washington."

While Daines' amendment did not receive the 60 votes required under Senate rules to be added to legislation to approve the Keystone XL pipeline, today's vote sent a strong message that any bill or designation that has a potential to impact land management must be locally driven, not spearheaded in Washington.

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