On the recordJuly 7, 2015
All my amendment does is ensure that none of the funds made available to this act can be used in contravention to the law of the land. My amendment wouldn't do anything to undermine current authority of congressionally and administratively driven land exchanges. In fact, I brought several before this body and have seen several signed into law. My district is 62 percent Federal land, and we always have various exchanges, purchases, and sales. Of course, those are consistent with the law, which allows the funds to be used under this bill. I am a strong believer in the ability of our Federal Government and Congress to make choices wisely in a thorough public and transparent process, which we do in this body. What my amendment would do instead is prohibit the use of funds in this bill to pursue any additional extra legal ways to turn our Federal land over to private owners. It would prohibit Federal dollars from being used to support, for instance, a commission around finding avenues to turn all Federal lands over to private ownership. These kinds of ventures are fiscally wasteful and counterproductive and wholly unwanted by the American people who rely and derive spiritual support, health, and jobs from our public lands. I urge my colleagues to reflect upon who exactly we are working for and what our goal is with regard to our public lands.…
