{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.heller.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=15639b94-6128-42de-aca9-548515cf0489", "Heller, Gosar, Daines Press Jewell for Answers about Plan to Designate National Monuments without Congressional Approval", "2013-11-13", "2013", "2013-11", "Republican", "House", "NV", "Dean Heller", "H001041", "www.heller.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "(Washington, D.C.) \u2013 U.S. Senator Dean Heller (R-NV), U.S. Representative Paul Gosar (R-AZ), and U.S. Representative Steve Daines (R-MT), along with 31 of their colleagues, today sent a letter to Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell regarding plans to designate national monuments on public lands without congressional approval. The letter requests the list of \u201cimportant places\u201d the U.S. Department of the Interior has deemed necessary for conservation and protection with the establishment of a monument.\r\nJewell referenced the Administration\u2019s intention to unilaterally designate national monuments in a speech at the National Press Club on October 31, 2013.\r\nA PDF of the letter is below.\r\nFull text of letter:\r\nNovember 13, 2013\r\nThe Honorable Sally Jewell  Secretary  Department of the Interior  1849 C St, N.W.  Washington, D.C.\u00a0\u00a0 20240\r\nDear Secretary Jewell,\r\nLike you, we are committed to appropriate conservation and multiple-use management of our public lands.\u00a0 As elected officials, we are working closely with our constituents on efforts to improve public land management\u2014which often include conservation designations.\u00a0 Given the gravity and permanence of national monuments, we believe that should these decisions be necessary, they should be made by Congress in an open, transparent, and public manner using extraordinary caution.\r\nOn October 31, 2013, during remarks at the National Press Club\u00a0 regarding the Antiquities Act, you said, \"if Congress doesn't step up to act to protect some of these important places that have been identified by communities and people throughout the country, then the president will take action\u2026there's no question that if Congress doesn't act, we will.\"\u00a0\r\nIn light of this statement, we are requesting a comprehensive list of the \u201cimportant places\u201d you reference in your comments that the administration is considering for national monument designations, along with a proposed timeline.\u00a0 Additionally, we are seeking clarification of whether designations are being considered only for proposed national monuments or whether there are other land-use proposals the administration would consider making monuments absent Congressional action.\u00a0 We also request that the administration notify all members of a state\u2019s congressional delegation at least 90-days in advance of designating a monument within that particular state.\r\nWe believe that these requests are consistent with your repeated commitment to openness, transparency, and cooperation with local and state officials in the context of land management decisions. Especially in consideration of past controversial usage of the Antiquities Act, your statements at the National Press Club have the potential to unravel the good work done by many to develop bottom-up land management solutions. Clarification of those statements is therefore critical to the continued success of these grassroots initiatives.\u00a0\r\nWe want to reaffirm our belief that public lands designations should originate in local communities where the concept enjoys broad support from elected officials, stakeholders, and other impacted individuals.\u00a0 Thank you for your attention to this matter and we look forward receiving your response in the near future.\u00a0\r\nSincerely,\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nSenator Dean Heller\r\nRepresentative Paul Gosar\r\nRepresentative Steve Daines\r\nSenator Mike Enzi\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\r\nSenator Jeff Flake\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\r\nRepresentative Rob Bishop\r\nSenator Mike Crapo\r\nRepresentative Joe Heck\r\nSenator John Barrasso\r\nRepresentative Mark Amodei\r\nSenator James Risch\r\nRepresentative Jason Chaffetz\r\nSenator Mike Johanns\r\nRepresentative Kevin Cramer\r\nSenator Mike Lee\r\nRepresentative Steve Pearce\r\nSenator Lisa Murkowski\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\r\nRepresentative Trent Franks\r\nSenator Orrin Hatch\r\nRepresentative Don Young\r\nSenator John Thune\r\nRepresentative Mike Coffman\r\nSenator Tom Coburn\r\nRepresentative Kevin McCarthy\r\nRepresentative Cynthia Lummis\r\nRepresentative Chris Stewart\r\nRepresentative Ra\u00fal Labrador\r\nRepresentative Doug LaMalfa\r\nRepresentative Louie Gohmert\r\nRepresentative Lynn Westmoreland\r\nRepresentative Greg Walden\r\nRepresentative David Schweikert\r\nSenator David Vitter\r\nSenator Tim Scott\r\n\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.heller.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=15639b94-6128-42de-aca9-548515cf0489"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.8785100653767586, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}