Public Lands Sale Proposal Forced Out of GOP Budget Bill

06.29.25 Public Lands Sale Proposal Forced Out of GOP Budget Bill After significant pressure from hunters, anglers, and outdoor rec community, Senator Lee reluctantly withdraws controversial proposal WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), a senior member of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, released the following statement on the removal of a proposal to sell millions of acres of public lands from Senate Republicans’ reconciliation bill: "This was a wrongheaded proposal that had no place in this reconciliation bill. Many western Senators who know the value of recreational lands objected to its inclusion,” said Sen. Cantwell. “I am glad our special places will still be available for everyone.” On Tuesday, Sen. Cantwell held a virtual press conference with the mayor of Boise, professional climbers, a leader from outdoor gear retailer REI, and a spokesperson for a hunting and angling advocacy group to push back on the GOP’s plans to sell public lands. On Wednesday, Sen. Cantwell released a statement on an updated proposal to sell off America’s public lands , after Senator Mike Lee’s (R-UT) original draft text was ruled to be noncompliant with Senate rules governing the budget process. And yesterday, after Senate Republicans released draft text of the reconciliation bill that preserved the public lands sell-off provision, Sen. Cantwell released a statement slamming its continued inclusion . Print Email Tweet Next Article Previous Article