Biden to designate environmental national monuments in California
CBSJAN 1
Biden Creates Two New California National Monuments
Above: Pres. Joe Biden speaks in the East Room of the White House on Jan. 5, 2025. Image copyright: Kent Nishimura/Stringer/Getty Images News via Getty Images
The Spin
Democratic narrative
Biden's actions answer the call from Californians to protect irreplaceable landscapes for future generations, honor tribal sovereignty through co-stewardship agreements, and ensure clean water access and wildlife habitat preservation. Biden has secured his environmental legacy and made it more difficult for Trump to reverse it.
Republican narrative
Like all of Biden's environmental actions in the closing weeks of his presidency, these hasty actions will drive up energy costs for average American consumers. These unilateral land restrictions will make it harder to build needed energy infrastructure and potentially hamper wildfire management efforts.