Public Land Caucus To the Rescue?

[Big Fin]

It will be nice when we no longer have to employee all of our time, platforms, and resources to the public land issue, but for now we have no choice.

In this episode of Fresh Tacks Weekly, Marcus and I got through more of the details and the vote counting strategy that is going on among many of us trying to make sure we have enough votes to remove the public land sales amendments from the budget.

We've been able to rely on Republican Reps Zinke (MT), Simpson (ID), and Downing (MT) to oppose these amendments. That is the limit of how many Rs can break ranks. Given we have even more Rs who signed on as members of the Public Land Caucus, we will get to see if that caucus is for real and can kill these bad land sale amendments and hopefully not just a political stunt.

More details in this video.

For those interested in the Caucus, here is the link - https://zinke.house.gov/media/press...aunch-bipartisan-public-lands-caucus-champion

Caucus Leadership

Co-Chairs

• Rep. Gabe Vasquez (D-NM-02)
• Rep. Ryan Zinke (R-MT-01)

Vice Chairs

• Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-MI-06)
• Rep. Mike Simpson (R-ID-02)

Members Include

• Rep. Raul Ruiz (D-CA-25)
• Rep. Chuck Edwards (R-NC-11)
• Rep. Joe Neguse (D-CO-02)
• Rep. Jen Kiggan (R-VA-02)
• Rep. Emily Randall (D-WA-06)
• Rep. Troy Downing (R-MT-01)
• Rep. Steven Horsford (D-NV-04)
• Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-WA-04)
• Rep. Susie Lee (D-NV-03)
• Rep. Juan Ciscomani (R-AZ-06)

 

[Southern Elk]

Thanks @Big Fin. Hopefully they stand strong, because they can really make a difference.

 

[rtraverdavis]

Now I have another thing to bug my rep about—join the Public Lands Caucus. Thanks @Big Fin

 

[Big Fin]

Thanks @Big Fin. Hopefully they stand strong, because they can really make a difference.

Yes, they could make a huge difference. Just that group could kill all of this foolishness. We need to encourage them at every chance.

Anyone wondering what they can do, find your Congress member at this link and let them know you do not support public land sales as part of the budget - https://www.congress.gov/members/find-your-member

 

[Pucky Freak]

Yes, they could make a huge difference. Just that group could kill all of this foolishness. We need to encourage them at every chance.

Anyone wondering what they can do, find your Congress member at this link and let them know you do not support public land sales as part of the budget - https://www.congress.gov/members/find-your-member

I contact mine quite a bit. I always get a thoughtful response from Chuck Grassley staffers, once even a personal response. To me that says a lot considering how prominent he is on the national scale, and his office likely hearing more from people in other States than from his IA constituents.

Joni Ernst and Miller-Meeks it is usually a form letter with a detailed explanation of their stances on an issue.

Zach Nunn…oh my. I have never, ever received any reply from him. Phone, email - does not matter. I have been contacting my elected representatives for over 25 years, and he is the ONLY one who never responded. How he keeps winning elections is baffling. When he was my State representative in a district of 30k Iowans, he still ignored me. He once attended a small local event to speak, which OK, making an appearance, right? Wrong. He arrived 5 minutes before his talk, and immediately zipped out the door after handing back the microphone, leaving zero time to stop and interact with anybody.

 

[elkduds]

I phone min legislators at least 1x/week to oppose PLT.

 

[rogerthat]

Thanks all who have been phoning. We need to keep it up. My thought is letting your congressman doing the right thing like the public land caucus, letting them know you appreciate their efforts is important also. I can’t overstate that once these lands are gone, they are gone forever.

 

[KingOfTagSoup]

It will be nice when we no longer have to employee all of our time, platforms, and resources to the public land issue, but for now we have no choice.

In this episode of Fresh Tacks Weekly, Marcus and I got through more of the details and the vote counting strategy that is going on among many of us trying to make sure we have enough votes to remove the public land sales amendments from the budget.

We've been able to rely on Republican Reps Zinke (MT), Simpson (ID), and Downing (MT) to oppose these amendments. That is the limit of how many Rs can break ranks. Given we have even more Rs who signed on as members of the Public Land Caucus, we will get to see if that caucus is for real and can kill these bad land sale amendments and hopefully not just a political stunt.

More details in this video.

For those interested in the Caucus, here is the link - https://zinke.house.gov/media/press...aunch-bipartisan-public-lands-caucus-champion

Caucus Leadership

Co-Chairs

• Rep. Gabe Vasquez (D-NM-02)
• Rep. Ryan Zinke (R-MT-01)

Vice Chairs

• Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-MI-06)
• Rep. Mike Simpson (R-ID-02)

Members Include

• Rep. Raul Ruiz (D-CA-25)
• Rep. Chuck Edwards (R-NC-11)
• Rep. Joe Neguse (D-CO-02)
• Rep. Jen Kiggan (R-VA-02)
• Rep. Emily Randall (D-WA-06)
• Rep. Troy Downing (R-MT-01)
• Rep. Steven Horsford (D-NV-04)
• Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-WA-04)
• Rep. Susie Lee (D-NV-03)
• Rep. Juan Ciscomani (R-AZ-06)

Same strategy as the HPA folks. Pressure works, we're making progress on that front, let's see if we can get something done with the public lands amendments too. Make the calls.

 

[RunNGunSC]

Media is reporting the removal of public land sale provisions from the bill!!! There was apparently a last minute manager’s amendment to reach the 217 number. Good work everyone. I appreciate the holdouts that stuck to their guns on this issue.

 

[Big Fin]

Back here this week and today I am meeting with as some staffers from the House members of the Public Land Caucus. Since the House is in recess this week, most members are back home and their staffs are still here.

The members of this Caucus and their opposition to land sales for budget reconciliation are still very important. Here’s why.

Senator Lee’s land sale bill in the Senate will still have to be reconciled when the BBB goes back to the House. If these House members refuse to allow land sales, that is one more point of leverage against Lee and his crazy ideas.

So, if one of these Representatives is your Representative, please let them know that you want them to oppose any land sales when the reconciliation process starts with the Senate version of the “Big Beautiful Bill.”

 

[mevertsen]

Thought @Big Fin

Ive looked at the map. Some of the places are blocking off entire recreation areas in Nevada (Lamoille Canyon near Elko for example).


Could this idea have been so crazy on purpose, there is some underlying reason?

Delay the vote for one reason or other.

Have someone else add something in for exchange? That might have a better chance of qualifying?

Something seems fishy. And i can't pin it down.

 

[accubond]

Thanks for the link above, I've contacted my rep and let him know that this move would alienate his sportsmen and women base and this is a hill many of us are willing to die on. Public land sales on the right, complete undoing of the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation on the left, it feels like we just can't win with any of these clowns!

 

[Mscarl (she/they)]

Vasquez has been an ally to many worthy causes and I learned about his passion for public land. This guy gets it. No wonder he is Co Founder of this. This caucus is really great for all public land users. It is about time we got something like this!