As reported in last week’s Liberty Matters, Senator Mike Lee from Utah included in the Senate’s FY25 Budget Reconciliation Bill, President Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill,” an amendment to sell off federal lands in 11 western states.
However, late last night, the Parliamentarian ruled his amendment failed to pass the Byrd Rule.
After the ruling by the Parliamentarian, Lee posted on X what he now plans to do:
- “REMOVE ALL Forest Service land. We are NOT selling off our forests.
- SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCE the amount of BLM land in the bill. Only land WITHIN 5 MILES of population centers is eligible.
- Establish FREEDOM ZONES to ensure these lands benefit AMERICAN FAMILIES.
- PROTECT our farmers, ranchers, and recreational users. They come first.”
He went on to say: “Yes, the Byrd Rule limits what can go in the reconciliation bill, but I’m doing everything I can to support President Trump and move this forward.”
Prior to the ruling, the screaming by the environmental community of Lee’s amendment to sell off a mere one-half to three-quarters of one percent of our nation’s lands proved they are on the defensive and side with the federal government’s ownership of nearly 640 million acres nationwide.
In his official statement of his original amendment, Senator Lee stated that transferring these lands to state or local control will make the federal government “smaller, freer, and work for Americans.” It will also reduce the federal deficit, generate billions in revenue, and unlock land for affordable housing and infrastructure.
“Washington has proven time and again it can’t manage this land. This bill puts it in better hands,” Lee said in a recent video released by his office.
Representative Harriet Hageman Illuminates Lee’s Amendment
Representative Harriet Hageman published a one-page summary entitled “Mandatory Disposal of Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Land and National Forest System Land for Housing.”
In her summary, Hageman states how out of the 245 million acres owned by the BLM and the 193 million acres owned by the Forest Service, none of this land can be used depriving our communities of needed land for housing and inhibiting growth.
Hageman explains how the amendment created a process for interested parties, including states and units of local governments to nominate land for disposal to meet housing and community needs, but prohibited the sale of lands with special designations like National Parks, National Monuments, wilderness areas, or national recreation areas.
It also prohibited the sale of lands with valid existing rights such as mining claims, grazing leases, mineral leases, and rights of ways.
Receipts from sales would go to the Treasury with 5% going to the unit of government where the land was sold for infrastructure directly supporting housing development or other community needs.
It also required conveyances of federal lands to be completed within five years, estimating sales to generate $5-10 billion during the 2025-2034 period. Hageman concluded by saying “[T]his proposal is central to relieving the housing crisis, fulfilling President Trump’s housing and public lands agenda, and creating jobs and strong economic growth in the West.”
Representative Hageman released the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources “Subtitle C” text with the public lands section beginning on page 30.
Glenn Beck Chimes In
Glen Beck interviewed Senator Lee who dispelled the environmentalist’s mistruths about his amendment. Beck also published on X the following statement:
“No, @SenMikeLee DOESN’T want to sell our national parks and hunting lands to build “affordable housing.”
Here’s what’s really happening. The US Government owns 640 million acres of land, mostly in the West. That’s almost a THIRD of our total land. It’s about the size of France, Germany, Poland, and the UK combined. Mike Lee wants to offload 3 million acres (less than HALF of a percent) of that land for Americans to live on.
“He’s not talking about selling Yellowstone or Yosemite. This is land that’s often remote, hard to access, or mismanaged. Why is it mismanaged? Because the federal government is the WORST NEIGHBOR. I know firsthand. My land is surrounded by a national forest, controlled by the Bureau of Land Management. The BLM doesn’t upkeep it. My neighbors and I do, so that it doesn’t ruin OUR ranch land.
“Also, ‘affordable housing’ just means land that doesn’t cost a FORTUNE. In the West, YOU CAN’T BUY LAND anymore because it’s so expensive. Why? Because the government owns it all! Never mind the national housing crisis. Want to buy a house without going into major debt? Good luck!
“That crisis will only get WORSE. Biden pushed for “30 by 30,” a GLOBAL plan to have 30% of the planet owned by federal governments by 2030. They don’t want to preserve it for hunting and fishing. They’re radical environmentalists who want to keep you OFF that land. The real goal is “50 by 50”. HALF the country locked up under federal or elite-approved “protection” by 2050. You think that won’t affect your ability to hunt, fish, graze cattle, harvest timber, or just live free?
“And here’s something no one’s talking about: the Treasury wants to put federal land on the national balance sheet. What happens if America ever defaults on its debt? CHINA will control that land.
“So, here’s the alternative: let the people who live near the land steward it. Let ranchers, farmers, sportsmen, and private conservationists do what they’ve done for generations. That’s the American way.”
American Stewards supports Senator Lee’s original language and believes it was a solid, common-sense approach to beginning the process of right-sizing our federal government and rolling back the 30×30 land grab and natural asset scam. It is no surprise that those groups working hard to shoot this down are the same groups that support permanently protecting 30% of our lands and oceans by 2030. You can see the list of these groups here.
We will continue to monitor this language and hope Senator Lee can include his “new” language and begin the process of rolling back the federal stranglehold of Western lands.
