Today, the President announced plans to unilaterally designate more than one million acres in Basin and Range in Nevada, Waco Mammoth in Texas, and Berryessa Snow Mountain in California as monuments – totaling already six this year, and 19 since he’s been in office. Chairman Rob Bishop (R-UT) released the following statement: 
 
“President Obama has shown complete disdain for Congress and the people of Nevada, California, and Texas. This surreptitious land grab reveals that the Obama Administration will stop at nothing to lock up more and more land, with the stroke of a pen. I condemn this shameful power move which makes states and citizens fearful that the federal government can invade at any time to seize more lands like bandits in the night,” said Chairman Bishop.
 
“The White House has made a mess out of the democratic process – which my Committee will now have to try and rectify. How this decree impacts people and their livelihoods – including public safety, water rights, economic development, recreation, and grazing – should be handled by Congress before a designation, not after the fact. Once again, the Obama Administration has put politics above people. Now, Congress is left to fix the mess made by the White House.”