A controversial proposal from Senator Mike Lee of Utah to authorize the sale of more than 3 million acres of federal public land in the American West has been struck from the Republican budget bill after the Senate parliamentarian ruled it violated chamber rules.
Lee’s proposal aimed to sell roughly 3,300 square miles of land—larger than the state of Delaware—managed by the Bureau of Land Management and the U.S. Forest Service. The measure, included in a sweeping GOP tax and spending package, would have permitted these sales in 11 Western states, where Lee argued that federal land ownership limits affordable housing and economic development.
However, Senate Parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough determined the provision did not meet the strict criteria required for inclusion in a reconciliation bill, which must be limited to measures directly tied to federal spending or revenue.
In response, Lee said he would revise the proposal, excluding all Forest Service land and narrowing the scope to BLM land located within five miles of towns and cities. He framed the plan as a response to rising housing costs, stating that many young families in Western states cannot afford to live near where they were raised due to federally controlled land limiting new development.
Despite Lee’s defense, the proposal sparked sharp criticism—even within his own party. Republican senators from Idaho and Montana expressed concern over losing access to public lands. Environmental groups and conservationists also condemned the measure, warning that selling public lands would threaten recreation, wildlife habitat, and long-term natural resource stewardship.
With input from AP News
