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Newsweek
30-06-2025
- Business
- Newsweek
Plans to Sell Millions of Acres of Federal Land Dropped
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. A Republican plan to sell millions of acres of federal land has been withdrawn from President Donald Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill Act after it drew significant opposition from both sides of the political aisle. Republican Senator Mike Lee of Utah, who chairs the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, preemptively pulled his provision from the tax and spending bill on Saturday. This means that efforts to mandate federal land sales for development and housing have been dropped from the bill. The move followed days of backlash from the public and lawmakers as well as warnings of rule violations from the Senate parliamentarian. Newsweek has contacted Lee for comment via email outside regular working hours. Why It Matters The U.S. government manages about 28 percent of the nation's land, much of which is concentrated in Western states. Those in support of the sale of federal land, including Trump, framed the provision as a means to generate revenue and ease the housing shortage. However, conservation organizations, Republican lawmakers and residents argued that the plan risked environmental harm without solving affordability concerns. The rift showed the struggle within the GOP over balancing property rights, local control and land stewardship. Senator Mike Lee of Utah speaking during a hearing of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., on June 18. Senator Mike Lee of Utah speaking during a hearing of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., on June 18. Mark Schiefelbein/AP What To Know Lee's proposal would have allowed the sale of 2 million acres of land managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and U.S. Forest Service (USFS) over the next five years. The goal, Lee previously said on social media, was to promote affordable housing development and give land back to American families. However, critics of the proposal raised concerns that the land could be sold to the highest bidder or to foreign governments rather than be given to local and rural communities. After the Senate parliamentarian ruled that the provision violated regulations governing reconciliation bills, Lee revised the legislation so that fewer acres of BLM-managed land would be sold and no USFS-managed land would be sold. Despite making these changes and others, he withdrew the proposal entirely over the weekend. Lee said in a statement posted on X, formerly Twitter, on Saturday: "Over the past several weeks, I've spent a lot of time listening to members of the community, local leaders, and stakeholders across the country. While there has been a tremendous amount of misinformation—and in some cases, outright lies—about my bill, many people brought forward sincere concerns." In a previous comment, he said he wanted the land to be sold to the American people, "not foreign governments, not the Chinese Communist Party, and not massive corporations looking to pad their portfolios." He added in his statement on Saturday that the reason he withdrew the proposal from the bill was because of the "constraints of the budget reconciliation process," which meant that he was "unable to secure clear, enforceable safeguards to guarantee that these lands would be sold only to American families—not to China, not to BlackRock, and not to any foreign interests." The proposal faced criticism from environmental groups and public land advocates, who warned it could open up as many as 250 million acres for eventual sale that would harm wildlife and recreation access. A number of Republican senators also spoke out against the legislation, including Senators Steve Daines and Tim Sheehy of Montana and Jim Risch of Idaho. What People Are Saying Senator Mike Lee of Utah said in a statement posted on X: "I continue to believe the federal government owns far too much land—land it is mismanaging and in many cases ruining for the next generation. Under Democratic presidents, massive swaths of the West are being locked away from the people who live there, with no meaningful recourse. That has real consequences for Utahns—from raising taxes for schools and funding local search-and-rescue operations, to being able to build homes and sustain rural communities." Senator Steve Daines of Montana wrote on X: "I always have and always will be against the sale of public lands. @TimSheehyMT & I worked together to block this provision from being included in the Senate reconciliation bill and I will always fight for our MT outdoor way of life." Senator Tim Sheehy of Montana wrote on X: "The entire Montana delegation has been united on this since Day One: public lands belong in public hands." Senator Jim Risch of Idaho wrote on X: "Senator Lee has withdrawn the sale of public lands provision. The people of Idaho have been clear—we do NOT support the sale of our public lands to the highest bidder. I am proud to help lead the effort to remove this provision from the One Big Beautiful Bill." What Happens Next Senate Republicans continue working to send Trump's legislative agenda to his desk ahead of the July 4 deadline. While the land sale proposal is off the table for now, Lee has indicated that he intends to advocate for changes in federal land management in future legislation.
Yahoo
24-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Proposal to sell federal lands has some devoted (and notable) opponents
DENVER ‒ Hunters, hikers and campers are breathing a sigh of relief after Congressional maneuvering temporarily halted a controversial proposal requiring the federal government to sell off millions of acres of public lands across the West. The proposal, a longtime policy priority of Utah Republican Sen. Mike Lee, would have let people or companies buy U.S. Forest Service or Bureau of Land Management land if they agreed to use it to build housing. Lee is the powerful chairman of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. The Senate parliamentarian late on June 23 ruled that the measure, as written, could not be included in the Congressional budget reconciliation bill because it requires 60 votes to pass, not just a simple majority. Lee has promised to revise the measure and keep trying. Advocates say if he does, they will keep fighting it. "Western voters have made it clear time and again that they want to protect public lands and they do not support selling America's public lands to private developers," Jennifer Rokala, executive director of the nonpartisan advocacy group Center for Western Priorities, said in a statement. "If Sen. Lee or his anti-public lands allies try to bring it back in any form, they will discover the backlash is just as severe." The measure's broad coalition of opponents ‒ which includes podcaster Joe Rogan and conservative rocker Ted Nugent ‒ had argued Lee was improperly using the reconciliation process to avoid public hearings and jam the law through Congress. Many hunters and target shooters feared the measure would reduce their access to public land. The Forest Service manages 193 million acres of forests and grasslands, while the BLM is responsible for about 245 million acres, and the measure would generally affect lands closest to existing neighborhoods. Lee's original plan would have let people and developers buy the federal land if they promised to use it for housing or related development, with the money flowing back to the federal treasury. The measure would have affected only Western states, including Utah, Colorado, California and Nevada. Many conservative lawmakers have long complained that the federal government's ownership of vast parts of Western states has limited growth and prevented development, hurting their economies. Lee's proposal came as the Trump administration has slashed funding for national parks, and proposed increasing drilling and mining on public lands across the West and in Alaska. Recreation groups argued that Lee's original proposal would potentially devastate gateway communities whose economies depend heavily on people using that land to hunt, fish, camp, or drive 4x4s. Other critics worried the plan lacked sufficient safeguards preventing private developers from snapping up prime land for mansions or private resorts, worsening existing housing problems. "There is a true need for public housing in rural communities adjacent to public lands. There's no fight on that concept," said Jessica Turner, president of the nonpartisan Outdoor Recreation Roundtable, which counts RV manufacturers, ski areas and mountain bike associations among its members. "It all comes down to using a scalpel, not a hammer and reconciliation is not the place for this debate." Turner said the recreation roundtable is working with several Republican senators from the West who oppose Lee's mass lands selloff, along with other public lands advocates seeking a compromise. Lee, in a June 23 social media post, said he was open to changing his proposal and offered a series of alterations that would potentially narrow its scope. It was not immediately clear when the new language would be formally introduced. Lee added: "Stay tuned. We're just getting started." This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Public lands sale proposal raises alarm across Western U.S.
USA Today
24-06-2025
- Politics
- USA Today
Public lands sale proposal raises alarm across Western U.S.
A coalition of conservative and liberal opponents worry the measure would restrict access to popular hunting and recreation areas. DENVER ‒ Hunters, hikers and campers are breathing a sigh of relief after Congressional maneuvering temporarily halted a controversial proposal requiring the federal government to sell off millions of acres of public lands across the West. The proposal, a longtime policy priority of Utah Republican Sen. Mike Lee, would have let people or companies buy U.S. Forest Service or Bureau of Land Management land if they agreed to use it to build housing. Lee is the powerful chairman of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. The Senate parliamentarian late on June 23 ruled that the measure as written could not be included in the Congressional budget reconciliation bill because it requires 60 votes to pass, not just a simple majority. Lee has promised to revise the measure and keep trying. Advocates say if he does, they will keep fighting it. "Western voters have made it clear time and again that they want to protect public lands and they do not support selling America's public lands to private developers," Jennifer Rokala, executive director of the nonpartisan advocacy group Center for Western Priorities said in a statement. "If Senator Lee or his anti-public lands allies try to bring it back in any form, they will discover the backlash is just as severe." The measure's broad coalition of opponents ‒ which includes podcaster Joe Rogan and conservative rocker Ted Nugent ‒ had argued Lee was improperly using the reconciliation process to avoid public hearings and jam the law through Congress. Many hunters and target shooters feared the measure would reduce their access to public land. The Forest Service manages 193 million acres of forests and grasslands, while the BLM is responsible for about 245 million acres, and the measure would generally affect lands closest to existing neighborhoods. Lee's original plan would have let people and developers buy the federal land if they promised to use it for housing or related development, with the money flowing back to the federal treasury. The measure would have affected only western states, including Utah, Colorado, California and Nevada. Many conservative lawmakers have long complained that the federal government's ownership of vast parts of western states has limited growth and prevented development, hurting their economies. Lee's proposal came as the Trump administration has slashed funding for national parks, and proposed increasing drilling and mining on public lands across the west and in Alaska. Recreation groups argued that Lee's original proposal would potentially devastate gateway communities whose economies depend heavily on people using that land to hunt, fish, camp or drive 4x4s. Other critics worried the plan lacked sufficient safeguards preventing private developers from snapping up prime land for mansions or private resorts, worsening existing housing problems. "There is a true need for public housing in rural communities adjacent to public lands. There's no fight on that concept," said Jessica Turner, president of the nonpartisan Outdoor Recreation Roundtable, which counts RV manufacturers, ski areas and mountain bike associations among its members. "It all comes down to using a scalpel, not a hammer and reconciliation is not the place for this debate." Turner said the recreation roundtable is working with several Republican senators from the west who oppose Lee's mass lands selloff, along with other public lands advocates seeking compromise. Lee in a June 23 social media post said he was open to changing his proposal, and offered a series of alterations that would potentially narrow its scope. It was not immediately clear when the new language would be formally introduced. Lee added: "Stay tuned. We're just getting started."
New York Times
10-04-2025
- Politics
- New York Times
A Champion of Oil Ends Her Bid to the Lead Bureau of Land Management
Kathleen Sgamma, an advocate for oil and gas whom President Trump had tapped to run the Bureau of Land Management, has abruptly withdrawn her nomination, a White House spokeswoman said. Ms. Sgamma had been scheduled to testify on Thursday before the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, which was considering her nomination to oversee the agency. It manages 245 million acres of public land across the United States. At the start of the hearing, Senator Mike Lee, the Utah Republican who leads the committee, announced that Ms. Sgamma had withdrawn but did not elaborate. Liz Huston, a White House spokeswoman, confirmed that Ms. Sgamma had removed herself from consideration but did not offer an explanation. 'We accept her withdrawal and look forward to putting forth another nominee,' Ms. Huston said. Ms. Sgamma worked as president of the Denver-based Western Energy Alliance for nearly 20 years before stepping down this year. In that role, she promoted independent oil and gas companies, which have sought to strip away government protections and expand drilling and mining on public lands in Western states. She opposed virtually every policy aimed at addressing climate change, conserving public lands and protecting biodiversity. This week, the investigative news outlet Documented published a memo it had obtained showing that Ms. Sgamma had criticized President Trump after the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. In a memo the day after the attack by supporters of Mr. Trump, Ms. Sgamma wrote to members of the Western Energy Alliance that she was 'disgusted by the violence witnessed yesterday and President Trump's role in spreading misinformation that incited it.' In recent months, applicants for positions in the Trump administration have said they have been asked for their thoughts on Jan. 6 and who they believe won the 2020 election, in what many described as a perceived loyalty test. David Bernhardt, who led the Interior Department during the first Trump administration, suggested on social media on Thursday that the recently publicized memo written by Ms. Sgamma was the reason for her withdrawal. 'Sad,' Mr. Bernhardt wrote on X, with a link to the article about Ms. Sgamma's memo. 'Self-inflicted.' Ms. Sgamma did not respond to a request for comment. The American Petroleum Institute, the oil industry's main lobbying group, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The Western Energy Alliance declined to comment. Environmental activists, who had roundly opposed Ms. Sgamma for the role, said they were relieved. 'Good riddance to Sgamma, whose withdrawal is good news for America's public lands and imperiled animals,' Taylor McKinnon, the Southwest director of the Center for Biological Diversity, said. 'There's no doubt that Trump's next nominee will also be a poisonous threat to our wildlife and wild places, but this speed bump gives senators a chance to ponder whether they really want to feed America's public lands and monuments into the snapping jaws of the fracking and mining industries,' he said. Aaron Weiss, the deputy director of the Center for Western Priorities, an environmental nonprofit organization, has criticized Ms. Sgamma for not making public a list of members of the Western Energy Alliance. 'It is ironic, and maybe fitting, if maybe her lack of candor and secrecy is what ultimately did her nomination in with the White House,' Mr. Weiss said.
South China Morning Post
20-02-2025
- Politics
- South China Morning Post
US should consider barring Chinese citizens from its national labs, Senate hears
Published: 7:01am, 21 Feb 2025 The US must do more to keep Chinese citizens from accessing its scientific research, including barring them from the country's national laboratories, lawmakers and experts warned on Thursday, in the latest sign of intensifying government scrutiny of America's research and development systems. 'There's been literally a whole generation of successful efforts by Communist China on stealing stuff,' said Paul Dabbar, CEO of California-based Bohr Quantum Technology and Donald Trump 's former Department of Energy undersecretary for science. Testifying at a hearing convened by the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, Dabbar recommended a default 'ban [on] Chinese nationals at the national labs' with the department able to grant waivers. US senator Tom Cotton, an Arkansas Republican, has championed legislation to prohibit citizens of China, Cuba, Iran, North Korea and Russia from gaining access to national labs unless they obtain a waiver. via AFP Dabbar's comments came as Washington debates how best to attract top talent for innovation while safeguarding American intellectual property rights and national security.
