Western Values Project Action released a hard-hitting advertisement telling Congressman Steve Pearce to definitively clarify his position on public land protections and key legislation that is making its way through Congress after he voted for a bill that could put Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks on the chopping block.
“Congressman Pearce’s track record on public lands and national monuments, including recent votes, and his support for the Trump administration’s review suggests he’d rather see the outline of Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks wiped off the map,” said Chris Saeger, executive director of the Western Values Project. “It’s unfortunate that he voted for legislation that could risk national monuments and have devastating impacts on public lands in New Mexico and across the West.”
The full-page ad, with a for sale to special interests sign in front of Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks National Monument, says that if Congressman Pearce ‘truly supports public lands he needs to come out and say he’s against H.R. 4532 and H.R. 3990 – two bills among many in Congress that would end protections of our national treasures.’
H.R. 4532 would codify Trump’s reduction of Bears Ears National Monument and H.R. 3990 would eviscerate the Antiquities Act by allowing current and future Presidents to eliminate designated national monuments without congressional approval.
The ads will run in the Congressman’s district and prompt constituents to call Pearce’s office seeking clarification on his positions.
“Given the strong opposition in his district to any legislation that undermines public land protections, one can only assume that Congressman Pearce is listening instead to the special interests who want nothing more than to exploit our public lands for their own gain,” said Saeger.
The House Committee on Natural Resources held a hearing on Tuesday for H.R. 4532 and has already moved H.R. 3990 out of committee on a party-line vote with the support of Congressman Pearce.
Also published on Medium.