Newest US Senate Land Sale Amendment

For you WI residents, the good news is that Johnson is very strongly opposed to the current state of the Senate bill based on his own report that he released today.

Sent him another email today, copy and paste and send to him if you wish:

Dear Senator Johnson,

I have been following along with the progress that the House and now the Senate has been making with producing the legislation that is known as the Big Beautiful Bill to balance the federal budget. While I'm extremely pleased that both you and Senator Baldwin currently oppose the current form of the bill, I'm disappointed that the report you released today regarding the legislation did not contain a single mention of how horrible the item in there regarding the sell off of America's public lands is. I'm very concerned about the federal land sales provision included from Utah Senator Mike Lee that would allow for the sell off of millions of acres of BLM and national forest lands across the Western US.

While this provision does not have an immediate and direct impact to WI and the people here that you represent, I want to remind you that these public lands are all of our lands as US citizens. Remember that the public land estate was INTENTIONALLY WITHDRAWN from private ownership and development by great conservation minded leaders like Theodore Roosevelt because they knew that they represented the TRUE HEALTH AND WEALTH of the nation. I find it a little bit ironic that this move from Senator Lee lands into a piece of legislation to balance the federal budget as he is willing to give up and sell off the most valuable asset America has.

I also fear that this could also potentially open the door and opportunity for future legislation that could impact WI by targeting federal lands without our state borders. Our state is very fortunate to have a vast amount of public land for our enjoyment in such close proximity to our home. Federal ownership is around 1.5 million acres and is managed for multiple uses, including timber harvesting and recreation which impacts a large portion of our citizens in this state.

It is my hope that you will continue to oppose this legislation until this portion of the legislation is removed. I also support many of the reasons you also have included in your own report and support you in continuing to oppose this legislation until the spending is further cut to help balance the budget.
 
From Hickenlooper, who is on the same committee as Lee:

June 16, 2025

Dear [Bluffgruff]


Thank you for taking the time to contact us regarding selling public lands. We always appreciate hearing from Coloradans, as it helps us better represent our great state in the United States Senate.

Congressional Republicans have included language in their budget reconciliation bill that allows for the sell-off of more than 3,000,000 acres of public lands. They see this as a way to help pay for their massive tax breaks for the ultra-wealthy. I see it differently.

In Colorado, public lands power a $17 billion dollar outdoor recreation economy which employs more than 132,000 Coloradans. Coloradans know our forests, national parks, and public lands are our pride and joy. These treasures are not—and should not be—for sale. That is why I introduced an amendment to the Senate’s budget resolution to prevent it. I will continue to fight against legislation that would allow public lands to be sold off to the highest bidder.

We always value hearing directly from Coloradans and hope you will continue to share your thoughts as we work together for Colorado and our country. For more information about our priorities, please visit our website at www.hickenlooper.senate.gov. Again, thank you for reaching out.
Sincerely,

John Hickenlooper
United States Senator
 
I’ve left several voicemails with Senator Cantwell this week and followed up with emails. Hope the messages are getting through.
 
If they really insist on pushing this I think it’s only fair to include Montana and make our senators vote on the issue as it’s affect their state .
I sent emails to the offices of Daines, Sheehy, and Lee this morning. Didn’t state my position (so as to not be misleading). I asked why Montana was omitted from this and if they believed it should be included so the state doesn’t miss out on possible revenue? Daine’s office sent the below. Note again that I didn’t state my opinion, opposition or favor. It’s a pretty canned response and it’s apparent they didn’t actually read what I sent.

Being extra cynical, but not sure they actually give a hoot about the opinion of their constituents (not that I am one to Lee) when they know that reelection won’t be a problem with the “good” letter next to their name.

Crickets from Sheehy and Lee’s offices so far.

“Thank you for contacting me to express your opposition to selling federal public lands. As a fifth generation Montanan and an avid outdoorsman, access to Montana's public lands is important to our way of life and our state's heritage. I spent much of my youth backpacking in the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness and want to preserve Montana's unparalleled natural beauty so my children and grandchildren can do the same. Let me first stress that I do not support the mass transfer or sale of federal public lands to state or private ownership. Further, I do not support reducing Montanans' access to our public lands. Montana's public lands are an important part of our state's heritage, our economy, and our way of life.

As you may know, I championed the passage of the Great American Outdoors Act, which provides permanent, dedicated funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) program and addresses the deferred maintenance backlog on our public lands. The LWCF is a critical conservation tool that has expanded public access to public lands, addressed checkerboard land ownership patterns, and increased sportsmen and recreation opportunities.

I also believe we need to do a better job managing our federal lands, however. The worsening health of Montana's forests has resulted in increased risk of catastrophic wildfires. The economies in our forested counties are suffering and have some of the highest unemployment rates in Montana due to the dramatic decrease in timber harvest on federal lands. I will continue to work across party lines in order to cut unnecessary red tape, eliminate frivolous litigation, create good-paying timber jobs, and give the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) the tools needed to protect our communities from deadly wildfires. As a member of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources which has jurisdiction over federal land management and forestry issues, please know that I will keep your views in mind as I work both to ensure that Montana's natural heritage is preserved and to protect livelihoods that rely on access to our lands.

Again, thanks for contacting me. It is my number one priority in the Senate to represent the values and interests of the people of Montana, and your input is very helpful as I do. I invite you to visit my website, www.daines.senate.gov, for updates about activities in Washington that affect our lives in Montana or to contact me. I look forward to hearing from you again in the future.”
 
Congressman Mike Simpson’s (ID) office provided that he is firmly against any sale of public lands in the BBB. Hopefully he sticks to it.

Emails and phone calls to my ID Senators have not given me any indication of what their plan is.
And yet I just got and email from him about how the BBB is good for Idahoans. SMH.
 
The NGOs are chiming in. I've got action emails from several. RMEF Blacktail, RMBS (Thank you @Oak ), Idaho Wildlife Federation, Idaho Rivers United, et al.
A lot of IG traffic from people I know at NRS . I see other user groups stepping up.
Several pro skiers from Wyoming, Idaho, and Colorado with pretty substantial social media following have been putting out action alerts.
 
Canned response from a North Dakota bootlicker...

Thank you for contacting me to express your view regarding the Fiscal Year 2025 budget. I appreciate hearing from you.

On February 21, 2025, I joined my Senate colleagues in passing the Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 Budget Resolution by a vote of 52-40. This was the first step in the expedited budget process, known as budget reconciliation, setting the parameters for Congress to craft and pass a budget. On February 25, 2025, the House of Representatives passed its version of the FY25 Budget Resolution by a vote of 217-215.

On April 5, 2025, I joined my Senate colleagues in passing our amendment to the FY25 Budget Resolution from the House of Representatives by a vote of 51-48. The amended resolution authorizes $1.5 trillion in additional tax cuts; adds Senate committee instructions and preserves those from House committees; creates savings floors to maximize the ability of Congress to cut wasteful spending; provides a debt limit extension into 2027; and sets top-line spending levels. On April 10, 2025, the House of Representatives passed the Senate's amended FY25 Budget Resolution by a vote of 216-214. Both chambers of Congress passed identical budget resolutions, unlocking the reconciliation process to deliver President Trump's America First agenda.

The Budget Resolution's passage exemplifies Senate Republicans working together to deliver on the promises made to Americans. It will help make generational investments to bolster national defense and border security, unleash American energy dominance, cut waste and unnecessary spending, and prevent the largest tax hike in American history. This brings us one step closer to creating opportunity and bringing certainty to North Dakota families, businesses, and markets.



Again, thank you for contacting me. Please know I value your input as I serve you in the United States Senate. To receive the most up-to-date information on my positions, I encourage you to sign up for my email newsletter at cramer.senate.gov.
 
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