Trump's 'Public Land Sale' Proposal Rejected After Bipartisan Backlash

A controversial proposal in President Trump’s sweeping housing bill to sell millions of acres of public land has been dropped after bipartisan backlash. Led by Senator Mike Lee, the measure aimed to boost housing but drew fierce opposition from lawmakers and outdoor advocates alike.

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Push for Land Sales

Senator Mike Lee of Utah added a provision to the GOP’s budget-reconciliation bill requiring the sale of millions of acres of federal land in the Western U.S. The goal, he argued, was to expand the housing supply in the region.

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Second Attempt at Passage

After the Senate parliamentarian blocked Lee’s initial proposal to sell 2.2 to 3.3 million acres, he revised it to include a smaller sale of 600,000 to 1.2 million acres. Despite the adjustment, the revised measure also faced stiff resistance.

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Reconciliation Rules Block Plan

Lee acknowledged the strict rules of the budget reconciliation process made it difficult to add safeguards limiting land purchases to American families. “Because of the strict constraints of the budget reconciliation process, I was unable to secure clear, enforceable safeguards,” he posted.

Fear of Foreign Buyers

Lee expressed concern the land could be bought by foreign entities. “Not to China, not to Blackrock and not to any foreign interests,” he wrote, explaining why he ultimately withdrew the provision from the legislation.

GOP Division Surfaces

Although some Republicans supported the proposal, others, including five House GOP members, said they would oppose the final bill if it contained the land sale provision. Their opposition helped derail the effort.

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Bipartisan Cheers for Removal

Democrats and conservationists applauded the removal. “Today is a major victory for our public lands,” said Sen. Martin Heinrich of New Mexico. “Because of you, the lands that we cherish will remain ours.”

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Continued Push Expected

Despite the setback, Lee signaled the issue is far from dead. “I look forward to helping Trump achieve that in a way that respects the legacy of our public lands,” he wrote, referring to finding new uses for “underutilized” land.

Conservationists on Alert

Sen. Heinrich warned against future efforts to sell public lands, posting, “To those already plotting to go after our public lands another way: Don’t. Unless you like losing.”