House Panel Approves Sale Of UT And NV Public Land

Politico reports:

The House Natural Resources Committee approved its portion of the GOP’s party-line megabill shortly after midnight Wednesday, advancing provisions Republicans say would raise more than $18 billion by mandating a sharp increase in oil, gas, coal and mineral leases on public lands and waters while also reducing royalty rates for producers.

In a late-night twist, Republicans also pushed through an amendment from Reps. Mark Amodei of Nevada and Celeste Maloy of Utah that would sell tracts of public land for development in their states — a proposal that had been rumored but was not included in the base text after it drew bipartisan opposition.

The provision also could create issues for Republicans when the full package heads to the floor as at least one GOP lawmaker, Montana Rep. Ryan Zinke, has declared public land sales a red line for him.

Read the full article.

Photo: Natural Resources Committee chairman Rep. Bruce Westerman, who is best known here for barricading himself in Kevin McCarthy’s office during the Capitol riot and bracing to defend himself with a Civil War sword he tore from a display.

In 2023, Westerman appeared here for blocking a motion to ban firearms from House hearing rooms.

Westerman was among the 126 GOP House reps who signed an amicus brief in the Supreme Court suit seeking to overturn the result of the 2020 presidential election.

Committee approves sale of public lands to help finance megabill https://t.co/sltnnfr0oj

— POLITICO (@politico) May 7, 2025