Senate Public Lands Fire Sale Blocked For Now

Mike Lee’s scheme to sell millions of acres of your land just went down in flames. Now he's scrambling to put it back together.

Mike Lee’s plan to auction off America’s public lands just went down in flames.

The Senate Parliamentarian ruled late Monday night that his depraved scheme, buried in the GOP’s reconciliation bill, violated the rules.

That means, for now, the breathtaking idea of selling off millions of acres of Forest Service and BLM land, your land, my land, for development has been blocked.

But don’t mistake this for a change of heart. This wasn’t some moral awakening. Mike Lee didn’t “listen to the American people,” as he simpered on social media. He got caught red-handed trying to bulldoze the American landscape. And despite enormous blowback from across the political spectrum, he still tried to force it through.

He didn’t even have the guts to put it to a committee vote. Instead, Lee tried to slip his land-grab into the larger reconciliation bill like a roach ducking into a pantry, counting on the fact that even Republican senators who opposed it wouldn’t dare blow up the whole package to stop him. He was betting they’d choke it down, hold their noses, and stay quiet.

The only reason he was stopped is because it was such a flagrant violation of Senate rules.

Oh, and just minutes — literally minutes — before the Parliamentarian’s ruling came down, he scrambled online to act like he’d voluntarily backed off. Said he’d “revise” the plan. Said he’d “heard your concerns.”

That’s not leadership. That’s cowardice. That’s a rat looking for the nearest hole before the trap snaps shut.

Who Does Mike Lee Think He is?

Mike Lee (R-UT) is a long-time public lands traitor cosplaying as a statesman. I’ve written about him before. He’s spent his entire career fantasizing about dismantling your public lands, handing it off to the states, and then to the highest bidder. This wasn’t some rogue amendment. It was the culmination of years of effort from the Heritage Foundation and Federalist Society brain rot brigade, wrapped in freedom-scented wrapping paper.

This man wanted to carve up the national estate and hand it off to developers, then pretend it was a bold act of liberty.

He wanted to sell off wilderness so future generations could have the freedom to visit their former trailhead in a cul-de-sac or see it glowing orange under a gas flare.

And when he got called out, by republicans, hunters, landowners, veterans, everyone, he didn’t apologize. He didn’t reflect. He tried to spin it as a patriotic compromise. He tried to gaslight the country into thinking this was always about helping “American families.”

A screenshot of a gutless retreat disguised as statesmanship

The only thing Mike Lee “protected” here was his own political hide. The only “freedom zone” he’s interested in establishing is the scorched-earth playground where oil companies and land barons can strip the land bare, poison what’s left, and walk away richer, while the rest of us are left picking through the ashes of what used to be ours.

Oh, and now he wants a medal for not selling off the forests? How precious.

This man has been clawing at the foundations of our public lands system like a feral animal for decades — obsessed, relentless, and foaming with free-market fanaticism. And when he finally thought he could pull it off without a vote, without a hearing, without a single second of daylight, he lunged. Hands out. Salivating. Giddy at the thought of handing your wilderness to the highest bidder and calling it freedom.

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The Fight Isn’t Over

Lee has vowed to “move this forward.” Just yesterday, he reaffirmed he’s working with the Trump administration on federal land sales. This man is hell-bent on selling off as much of your land as possible, and lying through his teeth while doing it.

So yes, let’s celebrate this win. But let’s remember Lee was only stopped because Senate rules tripped him up. He’ll be back with new language, a new spin, and the same sick obsession.

We have to make sure not a single acre is sold in this bill.

What We Do Now

These four Republican senators opposed Lee’s earlier version, they need to hear from you again. Loudly. Often. Clearly.

And don’t worry, I know they try to ensure only residents of their state can contact them despite serving the nation, so I’ve gone ahead and provided you with their staff emails to contact them directly:

• Steve Daines (R-MT) (email)

• Tim Sheehy (R-MT) (email)

• Mike Crapo (R-ID) (email)

• Jim Risch (R-ID) (email)

Lee is expected to rework his land sale proposal and send it back to the Parliamentarian for review any day now so he can slip it back into the reconciliation bill. I’ll report on it here the second he does.

In the meantime, keep the pressure on Daines, Sheehy, Crapo, and Risch. And House Republicans like Ryan Zinke (email) and Mike Simpson (email).

It’s well known that Americans from both parties overwhelmingly oppose selling public lands. That’s our strength. Let’s use it. Mike Lee may not care, but other politicians definitely do. Supporting this bill should be political suicide.

Until next time.

—Jim