WASHINGTON, D.C. – Montana’s Congressman, Denny Rehberg, today released the following statement following testimony of U.S. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar before a Senate committee today.  Last week, Rehberg asked the Secretary for details pertaining to a leaked memo that lays out plans to use the Antiquities Act to carve out 13 million acres of national monuments in 11 western states including Montana.  That information has not yet been provided.  Rehberg also introduced H.R. 4754, which requires congressional approval of new National Monument designations in Montana, similar to a provision already in place for Wyoming.

"Public input is certainly important, but it’s not enough if that input is ignored or comes after a policy has been written or implemented.  When it comes to executive action, we’ve already seen this Administration shoot first and ask questions later, and now that the sights are on millions of acres in Montana, the responsible action is to reassert congressional oversight, just like Wyoming has already done."