This week, the Senate parliamentarian struck down Senate Republicans’ initial provision to their budget to sell three million acres of public land to bankroll tax cuts for the ultra-wealthy
WATCH: Hickenlooper also spoke in a Senate roundtable today about protecting our public lands
WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator John Hickenlooper released the following statement about Senate Republicans’ updated proposal in the budget reconciliation bill to sell off Bureau of Land Management (BLM) land after their previous provision was struck down by the Senate parliamentarian.
“Republicans’ provision to sell off our American treasures is wildly unpopular in Colorado and throughout the country. It is flat out wrong.
“We’ll keep fighting against their last-ditch efforts to sneak their provision back into their big ugly bill. Our public lands are not for sale now, or ever.”
In an attempt to skirt the Senate parliamentarian, Senate Energy and Natural Resources (ENR) Committee recently released updated budget reconciliation text that focuses on the sale of BLM lands. It mandates BLM dispose of between 0.25% and 0.50% of their estate within five miles of a population center. The Wilderness Society estimates up to 1.2 million acres would be required to be put up for sale. The bill specifies that those sales will be mandated in Colorado and ten other western states.
Hickenlooper called out how this reckless fire-sale of our public land would devastate our outdoor recreation industry and Americans’ access to public lands today at ENR Ranking Member Senator Martin Heinrich’s public lands roundtable. Watch his remarks HERE.
In addition to the public lands sale provision, the bill rescinds Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) funding for the National Park Service (NPS) and BLM, including $267 million for NPS to pay for rangers, maintenance, emergency responders, and scientists. The bill would also eliminate IRA funding for updates to the electric grid, industrial decarbonization, and tribal energy loans.
Hickenlooper also voted against the Republican budget resolution twice, and will vote against the budget bill again. In April, Hickenlooper led a group of Western senators to introduce an amendment to the budget bill to protect public lands from being sold to pay for Republicans’ tax cuts for the ultra-wealthy. He took to the Senate floor to condemn the public lands sale provision in the House version of the bill. At the end of May, Hickenlooper held a press conference in Estes Park with Congressman Neguse, public lands advocates, and local elected officials to call out the Trump administration’s threats to Colorado’s national parks and public lands – including Rocky Mountain National Park.
###