Rep. Gabe Vasquez Secures First Major Win for Bipartisan Public Lands Caucus by Blocking Public Lands Sell-Off

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Representative Gabe Vasquez (NM-02) announced the first major victory for the newly formed Bipartisan Public Lands Caucus, which he co-founded earlier this year. Thanks to strong opposition from the caucus, a controversial provision that would have authorized the sale of thousands of acres of public land in Utah and Nevada has been removed from the Republican reconciliation bill.

“Stripping this dangerous amendment to sell off our public lands from the final reconciliation bill is a huge victory for all Americans,” Vasquez said. “When I launched the bipartisan Public Lands Caucus with Representative Zinke, we committed to working across party lines to sit down and ensure the integrity of our land management system. We’ve worked together across the aisle to prevent this unprecedented public lands sell-off. We will continue to work together to ensure our lands are public, accessible, and well managed.”

The provision would have allowed for the privatization of large swaths of federal land was stripped from the reconciliation bill before it reached the House floor. The Bipartisan Public Lands Caucus, which includes over a dozen lawmakers from across the political spectrum, made clear that any attempt to weaken public access or conservation protections would be met with unified resistance.

Rep. Vasquez serves as co-chair and founder of the Bipartisan Public Lands Caucus alongside Rep. Ryan Zinke (R-MT-01). The caucus is committed to advancing commonsense conservation policies, supporting outdoor recreation economies, and ensuring every American has access to our shared natural heritage.

###