Last week, Hickenlooper pressed Steve Pearce on his anti-public lands stances, Trump admin’s efforts to attack environmental protections
Hickenlooper was the first Senator to publicly oppose Steve Pearce’s nomination to lead BLM
WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator John Hickenlooper released the following statement after he voted NO on former U.S. Representative Steve Pearce’s nomination to be Director of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) in the Senate Energy and Natural Resources (ENR) Committee markup.
“I’ve long believed that when someone reveals themself to you, believe them.
“Over and over again, the Trump administration has targeted our public lands and the agencies that manage them.
“Their decision to pick Steve Pearce is a choice to enable someone who committed to the sell-off of our public lands. He will not be the independent steward our public lands deserve.
“He should not lead the Bureau of Land Management. Our public lands are NEVER for sale.”
During Pearce’s ENR confirmation hearing last week, Hickenlooper pressed Pearce on his past opposition to public lands and why the Trump administration would consider rolling back methane regulations that reduce pollution, despite broad support. Pearce failed to dispel his previous anti-public lands sentiments or justify why the administration would recklessly undermine key environmental protections. Watch it HERE.
In December, Hickenlooper became the first Senator to publicly oppose Pearce’s nomination to lead BLM, the largest land management agency and has consistently pushed back on his nomination. Pearce marked his time in Congress working to undermine environmental protections, open public lands for oil and gas operations, and sell public lands.
Hickenlooper is a former geologist and one of the only scientists in the Senate. He has been outspoken against Trump administration cuts to public lands and led an effort against the admin’s plans to overturn the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) Public Lands Rule. Last March, he introduced legislation to reinstate the thousands of National Park Service and Forest Service workers the Trump administration illegally fired.
Hickenlooper also helped lead the fight against Senator Mike Lee’s proposal to sell off more than three million acres of public lands. Hickenlooper first sounded the alarm back in April when he voted against the Republican budget resolution and introduced an amendment with colleagues to protect public lands from being sold to pay for Republicans’ tax cuts for the ultra-wealthy.
Last 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.
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