The House Natural Resources Committee has passed its directives for a Budget Reconciliation Bill, which includes $18.5 billion in savings. In addition, Reps. Mark Amodei and Celeste Maloy have introduced the Land Disposal Amendment as part of the Committee’s markup. The provision pertains to the disposal of federal lands in Nevada and Utah. The vote passed by a 26-17 margin, with one Democrat joining the Republicans.
Reconciliation is a process that allows the President’s agenda to move forward without being blocked by a Senate filibuster. It began with both the House and Senate passing an identical budget blueprint that provided clear directives for committees to identify areas for saving and investment. Congressional committees have been working to turn those directives into actionable legislation within their respective jurisdictions. All proposed legislation must meet deficit-reducing or revenue-related targets. The end goal is to compile all legislation passed through committees and bring it onto the chamber floors for voting in one big bill.
“This week, the House Natural Resources Committee advanced our portion of the Budget Reconciliation Bill, delivering on the Administration’s commitment to curb reckless spending, steward taxpayer dollars responsibly, and identify smart investments,” said Rep. Amodei. “Our contributions will generate a total of $18.5 billion in savings, well beyond our $1 billion target.”
The Land Disposal Amendment next heads the U.S. House of Representatives for a full vote.
The aim of the Land Disposal Amendment is to reduce federal control of vast public areas, including large plots of land in Utah and Nevada, where federal holdings dominate the landscape. In addition, the measure seeks to also increase the production of fossil fuels. A portion of the land earmarked for sale is centered on the construction of affordable housing on U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management on large plots of land outside Las Vegas and Reno, Nevada, as well as the southwestern Utah region.
“In addition to these historic savings, my Nevada-centric lands amendment was included in the package,” added Rep. Amodei. “The reality is, most of my colleagues don’t fully grasp the unique challenges Nevada faces as a state that is 80% federally owned. For years, folks from my district, and even across district lines, have voiced serious concerns about how these vast stretches of public land could threaten Nevada’s economic momentum and competitiveness if we run out of usable acreage.”
Key Bill Breakdown
Specific provisions of the Land Disposal Amendment include:
- Reinstating quarterly onshore oil and gas lease sales (projected to generate $12 billion in revenue).
- Mandating at least 30 lease sales in the Gulf of America over the next 15 years and six in the Cook Inlet (projected to generate billions of dollars in new revenue).
- Returning to reasonable oil and natural gas royalty rates.
- Requiring geothermal lease sales (projected to generate $23 million in new revenue).
- Resuming leasing for energy production in the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska and the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (projected to generate $1 billion in new revenue and savings).
- Resuming coal leasing on federal lands.
- Increasing timber sales on federal lands and requiring long-term timber contracts.
- Rescinding various wasteful slush funds established under the Biden administration in agencies such as the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the National Park Service, and the Bureau of Land Management.
- Investing in water infrastructure in the West.
- Providing funding to celebrate America’s 250th anniversary, including by establishing the National Garden of American Heroes.
“Today, committee Republicans took decisive action and advanced our portion of the one big, beautiful reconciliation bill. We’re generating more than $18.5 billion in new revenue and savings for the American people by unleashing the United States’ abundant natural resources,” added Rep. Bruce Westerman, Chairman of the House Committee on Natural Resources. “These budgetary measures will deliver on President Trump’s agenda to make our nation energy dominant today and into the future. I’d like to thank all of our committee members for their tireless work on this legislation, and I look forward to supporting it through the legislative process.”
