Senator Cortez Masto pressed Secretary Burgum for answers about the potential for Senate version of the Republican Tax Bill to include almost 2 million acres of federal land for sale
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) questioned Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum at a Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee hearing about the administration’s involvement in potential provisions in the Senate Republican’s reconciliation bill that would add back in misguided public land sales in Nevada and across the West.
Senator Cortez Masto highlighted the bipartisan support for the Southern Nevada Public Land Management Act (SNPLMA), which includes robust stakeholder engagement, and touted it as a model for effective federal land management that ensures the benefits of any land transfers return directly to the state of Nevada. Secretary Burgum himself discussed the importance of a comprehensive process like SNPLMA as a model for federal land sales earlier in the hearing.
“You talk about the benefits [of this model], but in action you’re not doing it,” she said. “In fact, on the House side – and I’m assuming they worked with the administration – their reconciliation package included federal land sales…that weren’t even near areas where you could actually do affordable housing.” She pointed to a map of remote land in Southern Nevada identified for sale in a failed amendment to the House reconciliation bill offered by Representative Mark Amodei (R-Nev.-02). The land is “in the middle of the desert. There’s no infrastructure. I don’t know any builder who is going to build housing in the middle of the desert, it makes no sense.”
“And now I’m hearing there is a proposal going to be put back into reconciliation [by the Chairman of this committee, Senator Mike Lee of Utah] to allow the federal government to sell up to 2 million acres of federal land. Is that correct,” she asked.
Secretary Burgum confirmed that this proposal is under consideration. Despite continued follow-up questions from Senator Cortez Masto, Secretary Burgum could not name any details of this upcoming legislation, nor identify anyone in Nevada who the administration is working with to ensure land sales actually meet the needs of the local communities. He stated he was “not actively engaged” in negotiations.
“I’m asking you because we have not seen anything,” the senator finished. “The Chairman has [the proposal], it is behind closed doors. I would assume you would be talking…because you’re going to be taking the lead as the lead agency. So if you don’t know, I’m really concerned and we should all be concerned across the west.”
Senator Cortez Masto is a strong supporter of SNPLMA and will continue to stand up against misguided attempts to include federal land sales in the Republicans’ upcoming tax bill that will only serve to pay for tax cuts for billionaires. Instead, Cortez Masto will continue to push for passage of her Southern Nevada Economic Development and Conservation Act, a years-long effort that includes all necessary stakeholders and will help Clark County grow responsibly, encourage affordable housing, and protect 2 million acres for conservation.
###