Maloy Promotes Free National Park Access For America’s 250th Birthday

During the August congressional recess, Utah’s 2nd District Congresswoman Celeste Maloy is spending her time back home, meeting with constituents and focusing on legislative priorities tied closely to the needs of her district. In an interview with the Big Picture Morning Show on KSUB Radio, Maloy provided an update on her work in Congress, her travel plans during the break, and the policy issues she’s most concerned about.

"I'm spending August traveling around my district meeting with people in Utah," said Maloy. "I'm going to go to a wildfire later this week. You know, I'm doing the work that I can't always get done when I have to fly to Washington, DC every week." In addition to local meetings, she’s joining the House Natural Resources Committee and the Western Caucus—where she serves as vice chair—for a field trip to examine wildfire prevention and forest health strategies.

The recent Dragon Bravo Fire that destroyed the historic lodge at the North Rim of the Grand Canyon was also on Maloy’s radar. “It’s really going to impact our district,” she noted. “The tourists that go to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon go through Kane County.” Asked whether the Park Service would rebuild, Maloy responded, “I hope so. The Park Service right now is—usually when I talk to them, what they say is we need more budget, we need more budget, we need more budget, we have backlog. And what I'm hoping is that they'll find ways to get creative and want to get things done.”

Maloy is also sponsoring legislation to recognize America’s 250th birthday in 2026 by waiving entrance fees to national parks and other public lands on Constitution Day. “We’re trying to do is make it so on September 17th, Constitution Day next year… everybody has access to our public lands,” she said. “You could just go get out in nature and have a day where you can celebrate and think about America turning 250 and what that means to you.”

Maloy Passionate About Regulatory Reform

A major theme in Maloy’s legislative agenda is regulatory reform. “I have the Free Act that would change the way agencies issue permits,” she said. “If we can get agencies to issue permits more efficiently… we could save the taxpayers a lot of money.” Maloy argued that overregulation by federal agencies has eroded public trust in government institutions. “Americans are losing faith in our institutions, in Congress, but also in the bureaucracy,” she explained. “We could cut back the bureaucracies, make things more efficient, get people to believe that the government is actually serving them.”

She also emphasized the importance of permanent legislative changes over relying solely on executive action. “Anything one administration does, another administration can undo,” she said. “Agencies are operating on delegated authority from Congress. I want to remind agencies that that delegation of authority is limited. They can't just bypass Congress… through regulations promulgated by unelected bureaucrats.”

Turning to the pressing issue of government funding, Maloy addressed concerns about another possible government shutdown. “I'm on the Appropriations Committee and we have marked up 10 of the 12 appropriations bills,” she said. “We should have had all 12 of them done before August recess, but… they cancelled both the next week and that put us behind.” While two of the bills have already passed the House floor, she said the remaining bills can still move quickly once Congress returns.

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She also explained the political complexity of the process. “An appropriations bill takes 60 votes in the Senate,” she said, which forces the Republican-controlled House to consider the need for compromise. “My Democrat colleagues… are spoiling for a fight right now. They can’t get anything done. We have the votes to keep winning without their help and they’re looking for a fight—and it might be appropriations.”

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Despite the delays and partisanship, Maloy remains confident. “We have enough legislating days to get them passed before government funding runs out,” she said, emphasizing her commitment to a more accountable, efficient federal government that serves the interests of Utahns and the broader American public.