KJP Won’t Say If Biden Consulted With Governors Before New National Monument Designations

White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre declined to say whether President Joe Biden consulted Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo before designating the Avi Kwa Ame site as a national monument in March 2023, deflecting when asked directly about Lombardo’s public statement objecting to the designation. Jean-Pierre pointed to the Office of Intergovernmental Affairs’ “constant communications” with governors generally but would not provide a specific readout on the Avi Kwa Ame consultation process.

The National Monument Designation

Avi Kwa Ame designation: Biden designated roughly 506,000 acres in southern Nevada as the Avi Kwa Ame National Monument.
Antiquities Act: The designation used the 1906 Antiquities Act, which grants presidents unilateral authority to protect federal lands.
Tribal significance: The site holds sacred significance for the Mojave and other Yuman-speaking tribes of the Colorado River basin.
Biodiversity value: The area encompasses critical desert ecosystem habitat including bighorn sheep and desert tortoise populations.
Administration’s third designation: The Avi Kwa Ame site represented one of Biden’s third national monument designations.

Governor Lombardo’s Objection

Public statement: Newly elected Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo issued a statement saying his office was not consulted.
Opposition framing: Lombardo said he opposed the national monument designation publicly.
Jurisdictional concerns: Governors often object to federal designations that limit state control over lands within their borders.
Consultation expectations: Historical precedent has varied but typically includes governor consultation before monument designations.
Political fallout: The public spat added to existing tensions between the Biden administration and Republican governors.

Jean-Pierre’s Non-Answer

No meetings readout: The press secretary said she had no “meetings to work to talk through or conversations” to share.
Climate pivot: Jean-Pierre pivoted to Biden’s climate crisis priorities rather than addressing consultation.
Office of Intergovernmental Affairs: She pointed to the OIA’s “constant communications” with governors as generic answer.
No specific readout: The press secretary declined to provide specifics on Avi Kwa Ame consultation.
Standard deflection: The response followed a pattern of deflecting specific questions to generic processes.

The Antiquities Act Context

Presidential authority: Since 1906, presidents from both parties have used the Antiquities Act to protect federal lands.
Trump modifications: The first Trump administration dramatically shrank Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante monuments.
Biden restoration: Biden restored the original boundaries of those monuments upon taking office.
Legal challenges: The extent of presidential power to modify or abolish prior designations remains legally contested.
Conservation legacy: Presidents often use the Antiquities Act late in terms to establish conservation legacies.

Governor Consultation Precedent

Variable history: Different administrations have shown varying commitments to pre-designation consultation.
Legal requirement absent: The Antiquities Act does not require consultation with state officials.
Political best practice: Modern administrations typically notify affected governors regardless of legal requirements.
Grand Staircase precedent: Bill Clinton’s 1996 Grand Staircase designation famously bypassed Utah’s Republican governor.
Biden commitments: The administration publicly emphasized commitment to collaborative federal-state-tribal partnerships.

Avi Kwa Ame’s Tribal Significance

Spirit Mountain: The site includes Spirit Mountain (Newberry Peak), sacred to the Mojave and other Yuman tribes.
Creation story: According to Mojave tradition, the mountain is the place of creation for their people.
Tribal advocacy: A coalition of 12 tribes advocated for the monument designation for years.
Congressional support: Nevada’s Democratic senators Catherine Cortez Masto and Jacky Rosen supported the designation.
Cultural protection: The designation provides federal protection for cultural and archaeological resources.

Environmental and Economic Considerations

Desert ecosystem: The area encompasses rare desert ecosystems with high biodiversity value.
Mining concerns: Some mining interests opposed the designation due to restrictions on new mineral development.
Renewable energy: The designation complicated some proposed solar and wind projects in the region.
Grazing permits: Existing grazing permits within monument boundaries continued under new management.
Tourism potential: Monument designation typically increases visitation and associated tourism economy.

The Biden Conservation Agenda

30x30 goal: The administration committed to conserving 30% of U.S. lands and waters by 2030.
Prior designations: Earlier monument designations included Camp Hale and Castner Range in 2022.
Executive action emphasis: With Congress divided, executive conservation actions became increasingly important.
Interior Department: Secretary Deb Haaland has been a central figure in conservation designations.
Tribal consultation priority: The administration prioritized tribal consultation in conservation decisions.

The Political Landscape

Federal lands politics: Federal lands management remains contentious in western states with large federal land holdings.
Rural-urban divide: Conservation decisions often create tension between urban environmental advocates and rural residents.
Republican opposition: Republican governors across the West have repeatedly challenged federal land designations.
Legal strategy: States have pursued various legal challenges to expansive federal designations.
2024 politics: Conservation designations may factor into rural western state dynamics in the presidential election.

Key Takeaways

Jean-Pierre declined to say whether Biden consulted Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo before designating the Avi Kwa Ame National Monument.
Lombardo publicly stated he was not consulted and opposed the designation.
The press secretary pointed to the Office of Intergovernmental Affairs’ “constant communications” with governors as a generic answer.
Jean-Pierre pivoted to Biden’s climate crisis priorities rather than addressing specific consultation questions.
The Antiquities Act grants presidents unilateral authority to designate national monuments without state consultation requirements.
The site holds profound sacred significance for the Mojave and other Yuman-speaking tribes of the Colorado River basin.

Transcript Highlights

The following quotations are drawn from an AI-generated Whisper transcript of the briefing and should be considered unverified pending official transcript release.

“I don’t have any meetings to work to talk through or conversations.” — Karine Jean-Pierre
“I can’t speak to any conversation that has been had with the governor.” — Karine Jean-Pierre
“The President is taking tackling the climate crisis as a priority.” — Karine Jean-Pierre
“Nevada governor Joe Lombardo put out a statement saying that they were not consulted on the Abiquamia site and that he opposes it being designated as a national monument.” — Reporter framing
“The president and his office of intergovernmental affairs which deals with the governors and deals with mayors and also local elected officials is in constant communications.” — Karine Jean-Pierre
“I just don’t have a readout to give you on that.” — Karine Jean-Pierre

Full transcript: 150 words transcribed via Whisper AI.