Today, Congressman Jason Smith called on President Obama to stop playing politics and to open America’s national parks, rivers and monuments. Smith noted that the House of Representatives has voted five times in the last two weeks to restore funding for all national rivers, parks and monuments.
“Never could I have imagined that an American president would barricade our national parks, rivers and monuments to score political points. The House of Representatives has voted to restore funding and open all parks and monuments five times in the last two weeks,” said Smith. “Unfortunately, the United States Senate has refused to even consider the House funding bills. To make matters worse, President Obama ordered the parks, rivers and monuments to be barricaded and closed to American citizens. It costs more money to barricade the parks, rivers and monuments than it would to have left them open.”
Smith recently joined other Members of Congress in opening the World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C. for Missouri veterans who traveled to Washington to see the memorial.
“Two weeks ago we had a World War II veterans’ Honor Flight in Washington to visit the National World War II Memorial. I was ashamed to see Obama barricades blocking World War II veterans’ access to their memorial,” said Smith. “It should not take Members of Congress personally removing barricades for our veterans to visit their memorials. Veterans from our Greatest Generation should not be used to score political points.”
Late last week Smith co-sponsored legislation to ensure that State governments would be reimbursed for expenses they incur opening National Parks back up to the public during the government shutdown. This legislation comes in light of the Obama Administration’s recent reversal of their policy to needlessly block and barricade citizens from accessing National Parks like the Ozark National Scenic Riverways.
“President Obama’s National Parks service must be feeling the heat,” said Smith. “For more than a week the Park Service has denied state requests to pay for the opening of National Parks. Now they will allow parks like the Ozark National Scenic Riverways to be opened, but are requiring states to foot the bill.”
The Ozark National Scenic Riverways was created in 1964 out of private property and other lands that included Big Springs, Alley Springs, and Round Spring State Parks. Implicit in the taking of both the state’s and private landowner’s property was the idea that the lands would continue to be open to the people of the State of Missouri.
“If states like Missouri are willing to take responsibility for their public lands and open them up, despite the antics of the federal government, then the federal government should pay them for their efforts,” said Smith. “Missouri taxpayers should not have to foot the bill for the political games being played by the Obama Administration.”
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