House Republicans voted Wednesday to adopt a provision in their budget reconciliation package that would allow for the sale of public land in Nevada and Utah.
GOP Reps. Mark Amodei (Nev.) and Celeste Maloy (Utah) funneled the provision through a House Natural Resources Committee markup that seeks to boost fossil fuel production and mining on federal land.
“Nevada population centers are all encumbered by federal land that can’t meet their housing and development needs without disposal of federal lands. Unlike most other states, Nevadans rely on Congress to make these lands available,” Amodei said during the markup.
Maloy said federal land status has restricted input from local government and made it harder to address Utah’s housing demand. She urged the committee to vote in favor of selling the land to create more local control over transportation, development and harnessing natural resources.
“Chairman, the underlying bill before this committee today generates revenue from numerous federal assets, from oil and gas sale leases for both onshore and offshore to other federal fees to be paid, all of which will bring revenue to the Treasury for debt and deficit reduction,” she said.
Housing and Urban Development Secretary Scott Turner and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum announced in March plans to identify federal lands where affordable housing could be built.
However, Democrats pushed back on the 33-page “last minute amendment,” citing concerns about representation for local residents.
Amodei does not represent Clark County, where the proposal suggests public land would be sold in Nevada.
“I would think at a minimum, Mr. Amodei, that you would do your colleagues in Nevada the courtesy of at least striking that language regarding Clark County, engage with your three other colleagues before this gets to the floor, and then have a conversation with them, but to basically say to them that they have no say as to what happens with respect to land conveyances in their congressional districts, I think the slippery slope,” said Rep. Joe Neguse (D-Colo.), ranking member of the subcommittee on federal land.
Nevada Democratic Reps. Steven Horsford, Susie Lee and Dina Titus were not consulted on the amendment prior to the vote and were informed of the new measure via text, according to Neguse.
The legislation ultimately passed in a 26-17 vote, with Rep. Adam Gray (D-Calif.) casting his ballot alongside Republicans.