Colorado Sierra Club Thanks Sens. Hickenlooper and Bennet for Defending Public Lands

Bipartisan amendment would have prevented public lands sale in budget package

April 10, 2025

Denver, CO - Last Friday, during the budget vote-a-rama, Senator John Hickenlooper sponsored an amendment, with Senator Michael Bennet joining as a co-sponsor, which would have prevented the sale of public lands from being included in the budget reconciliation package that will be moving through Congress soon. The budget package is seeking trillions of dollars to pay for the permanent extension of the 2017 tax cuts, tax cuts which overwhelmingly benefit the wealthiest Americans. Last week, E&E News reportedthat Congressional Republicans were considering including the sale of public lands in the budget package in order to pay for those proposed tax cuts.

The measure gained support across the aisle with a yes vote from the Republican Senators from Montana, Steve Daines and Tim Sheehy, and the measure had the support of all Senate Democrats. Despite bipartisan support, the measure narrowly lost 48 to 51.

"Senators Hickenlooper and Bennet showed incredible leadership in standing up for public lands across the US. The broad bipartisan support that public lands receive both in Coloradoand across the regionis exemplified by them being joined by multiple western Republican colleagues," said Alexis Schwartz, Senior Field Organizer of the Colorado Sierra Club.

"The fact that a majority of the US Senate is willing to sell off public lands to pay for tax cuts for billionaires and millionaires is reprehensible. Public lands are a source of pride, health, and prosperity for the public; they should not become for-profit playgrounds for corporate polluters. We are deeply grateful to Sens. Hickenlooper and Bennet for standing up for their constituents."

Senate Republicans' rejection of the public lands amendment is just the latest in a series of attacks on public lands by Pres. Trump and the federal government, including nominating oil and gas executives for key public lands leadership positions, threatening national monumentsand other protected landscapes, and firing thousands of federal employees who had ensured public access and recreation on public lands.

These efforts are endangering the economies of rural communities, denying access to recreation and resources on public lands, and are directly in opposition to the interests of American people.

About the Sierra Club

The Sierra Club is America's largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with millions of members and supporters. In addition to protecting every person's right to get outdoors and access the healing power of nature, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org.

public lands