Senator Mike Lee Withdraws Public Lands Sale Provision From Major Spending Bill

Senator Mike Lee (R-Utah) has officially withdrawn his controversial provision to sell millions of acres of federal public lands from the "Big Beautiful Bill," a sweeping legislative package currently under consideration. The decision, announced late Saturday, June 28, followed intense bipartisan opposition, rulings from the Senate parliamentarian, and widespread public outcry. Representative Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) reacted to the news, stating on social media, "Mike Lee listened to reason and just announced he’s withdrawing his provision to sell public lands to the highest bidder. This is what happens when we fight back."

Lee's proposal initially aimed to make between 2.2 million and 3.3 million acres of land managed by the U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management (BLM) available for sale, primarily to address housing needs. A revised version later narrowed the scope to 0.25-0.5% of BLM lands located within five miles of population centers. The Utah senator argued that the federal government owns and mismanages too much land, which could be better utilized for American families.

The provision faced significant hurdles, including multiple rulings by the Senate parliamentarian who determined earlier iterations violated the Byrd Rule, which limits extraneous provisions in budget reconciliation bills. Furthermore, a coalition of Republican senators from Western states, including Montana and Idaho, publicly opposed the measure and threatened to vote against the larger bill if it remained. Five House Republicans, including former Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke, also signaled their opposition.

Beyond legislative challenges, environmental groups, hunters, and anglers mobilized extensively against the plan. Organizations like the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance and Backcountry Hunters & Anglers celebrated the withdrawal as a major victory for public lands. Scott Braden, Executive Director of the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance, stated, "The nationwide, bipartisan backlash sparked by Senator Mike Lee’s proposal to sell off millions of acres of public land shows just how universally unpopular his idea is."

Senator Lee attributed his final decision to the "strict constraints of the budget reconciliation process," claiming he was "unable to secure clear, enforceable safeguards to guarantee that these lands would be sold only to American families—not to China, not to BlackRock, and not to any foreign interests." Despite the withdrawal, Lee affirmed his continued belief that the federal government owns an excessive amount of land and expressed his intent to work with the Trump administration on future land utilization efforts.