16. Department of the Interior · Major · Needs Congress
Repeal the Antiquities Act of 1906
Printed page 532 16. Department of the Interior
“Finally, the new Administration must seek repeal of the Antiquities Act of 1906, which permitted emergency action by a President long before the statutory authority existed for the protection of special federal lands, such as those with wild and scenic rivers, endangered specials, or other unique places.”
What has happened
- Not started
No repeal bill has moved and the administration has not asked for one. The only 119th-Congress bill touching the Act's structure, H.R. 2645 (Congressional Oversight of the Antiquities Act), was referred to committee on 2025-04-03 and has not advanced. The administration has instead used the Act (two 2026 reduction proclamations, on an OLC opinion that the President may revoke monuments) rather than sought its repeal.
No action found yet. This entry is the starting point, not a finding.
Research log
What was searched, and what didn’t count as evidence
Research notes
- Searched 2026-08-27: the bills we keep and search, from congress.gov, by title for “Antiquities” (one hit, H.R. 2645, introduced only); the public laws we keep and search for “Antiquities” and “monument” (nothing relevant — P.L. 119-46 concerns the Washington Monument display); a Federal Register API full-text search for “Antiquities Act” repeal across all document types since 2025-01-20 (no presidential document or notice asks Congress for repeal); the White House presidential actions we keep and search for “Antiquities” (the two July 2026 proclamations only).
- H.R. 2645: https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/BILLS-119hr2645/html/BILLS-119hr2645.htm — not opened; a bill that has only been introduced does not count as progress on an ask that needs an act of Congress.
- The May 2025 OLC opinion (cited on #1495) argues the Act already permits revocation, which cuts against a repeal push.
- Action
- repeal
- Object
- Antiquities Act of 1906
- ID
- 1497