Washington – Early this morning, Republicans in the House Natural Resources Committee passed an amendment to a spending bill that would sell off tracts of protected federal land in Nevada and Utah to raise revenue to support tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans. The amendment was attached to a bill that would also mandate a sharp increase in fossil fuel extraction on lands that remain under federal ownership and management. 

In response, Food & Water Watch Managing Director of Policy and Litigation Mitch Jones issued the following statement:

“Selling public lands to pay for tax cuts to billionaires is a horrible idea. Fossil fuel corporations have been chomping at the bit to exploit federal protected lands for oil and gas drilling — House Republicans appear all too willing to pave the way. This partisan move to sell off federal lands is a betrayal of public trust. The spending bill must be dead on arrival.”