Public Land Sale Blocked: GOP Plan Hits a Wall
“Together we will burn this thing to the ground the way it needs to be done.”
Image via Nicolas Boivin from Getty Images
A major push to sell off millions of acres of federal public land for housing just hit a wall. Senate Parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough ruled Monday that the proposal can’t be included in the GOP’s wide-ranging megabill on taxes, energy, and border security.
The ruling, shared by Senate Budget Committee Democrats, didn’t stop there—it also struck out other controversial items like a proposed mining road in Alaska and changes to how oil and gas leasing would work. These decisions complicate Republican efforts to use budget reconciliation to pass their bill without needing Democratic support.
Even before the ruling came down, Senator Lee was already feeling the heat from conservatives online. He took to X just minutes before the decision became public, saying, “Thanks to YOU—the AMERICAN PEOPLE—here’s what I plan to do.” He promised to remove Forest Service lands from the plan entirely and “significantly reduce” the amount of Bureau of Land Management (BLM) land on the table. He also said future land sales would be focused on areas near where people actually live.
- Lee said he’s reworking the plan — the updated version would still authorize sales of Bureau of Land Management land, but Forest Service lands are now off the table.
Still, criticism from conservatives was fierce and widespread. High-profile voices like Christopher Rufo and Mike Solana were blunt—Rufo called himself “totally against” the idea, and Solana said it was “almost too stupid to believe.” Chris LaCivita, who ran Trump’s 2024 campaign, admitted, “Many of these arguments are valid.”
Hunting groups added their voices to the opposition. Keith Mark, founder of Hunter Nation, said he told Lee he wanted the land sales “taken out of the bill” altogether. And Land Tawney of American Hunters and Anglers was even more direct: “You can’t make this language better,” he said. “Together we will burn this thing to the ground the way it needs to be done.”
Opposition inside the Senate GOP was just as strong. Senators Steve Daines and Tim Sheehy from Montana, along with Idaho’s Jim Risch and Mike Crapo, all said they didn’t support the plan. “I oppose it,” Daines said bluntly. “The way it’s written right now, it’s not going to pass.” And former Sen. Jon Tester didn’t hold back either. “They should be voted out of office if they vote for it, it’s a bad idea,” he said.
Still, Senator Lee isn’t backing down. “I’m doing everything I can to support President Trump and move this forward,” he said. “Stay tuned. We’re just getting started.”
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