Senator Mike Lee, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, criticized Democrats on April 14 after Senator Martin Heinrich blocked the passage of the No Funding to Honor Crime Scenes Act. The bill, introduced by Senator John Cornyn, aimed to close and dispose of the César E. Chávez National Monument in Keene, California.
Lee said that Democrats preferred to preserve a site connected to allegations of abuse rather than take action. “This is what ‘not one acre’ means in practice,” said Senator Lee. “Democrats would rather preserve a site tied to the abuse of women and children than take action in light of deeply disturbing allegations. That is indefensible. We’re talking about a location that, according to credible reporting, was the setting for heinous abuse. Yet instead of confronting that reality, my colleague chose to block a straightforward measure and replace it with one that keeps this site enshrined.”
The controversy follows a report from The New York Times detailing allegations against César E. Chávez involving sexual abuse of women and girls at the monument’s location.
Instead of supporting Cornyn’s legislation, Heinrich objected and offered an amendment intended to keep the monument preserved.
The debate highlights differing views within Congress over how sites with controversial histories should be handled when new allegations come forward.
