Targets constituents across eight states following Wednesday’s vote

WASHINGTON, DC – Following passage in the House on Wednesday, the League of Conservation Voters today launched a series of web ads holding 11 Republican and Democratic members of Congress across eight states accountable for their vote on HR 1459, the so-called ‘Preventing New Parks Bill.’ The Facebook ads start running today, thanking eight Representatives for voting against the legislation, and holding three Representatives accountable for voting for this extreme bill.  

“Members of Congress had a choice with this vote: stand with the American people in support of our parks or break the tool that has made protecting iconic places like the Grand Canyon and the Statue of Liberty possible for more than a century. Constituents deserve to know where their member of Congress stood,” said Alex Taurel, Deputy Legislative Director at LCV.

The ads thanking Representatives Chris Gibson (R-NY), Frank LoBiondo (R-NJ), Dave Reichert (R-WA), Ron Barber (D-AZ), Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ), Raul Grijalva (D-AZ), Peter DeFazio (D-OR) and Donna Edwards (D-MD) read, “Help us protect our public lands: Thank XX for voting against the Preventing New Parks bill!”

The ads holding Representatives Jaime Herrera Beutler (R-WA), David Valadao (R-CA) and David Joyce (R-OH) accountable read, “Tell XX that his/her vote for the Preventing New Parks bill is unacceptable!” These ads follow LCV’s earlier campaign ahead of the vote. 

A vote for H.R. 1459 amounted to a vote in favor of preventing new parks from being created. The legislation would gut a President’s main park-creation authority, the Antiquities Act, which Republican and Democratic Presidents alike have used to protect iconic places like the Grand Canyon, the Statue of Liberty and Arches National Park. 

The vote on the bill came at a time when, apart from a single wilderness bill that became law earlier this month, Congress has not protected a single new acre of public land since 2009, the longest gap since World War II. With Congress refusing to advance dozens of bipartisan, locally-supported bills to create new national parks and other conservation areas, it’s more important than ever that Congress preserves the President’s authority under the Antiquities Act to protect public lands. 

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