Latest news with #JoeNeguse
CBS News
7 days ago
- Politics
- CBS News
Colorado Congressman Joe Neguse pushes back against plan to sell millions of acres of public land
Republicans in the U.S. Senate have introduced a proposal to sell millions of acres of federal land in eleven western states, including Colorado. The proposal is part of President Trump's "Big Beautiful Bill" and would require the Bureau of Land Management and the U.S. Forest Service to auction off 2.2 - 3.3 million acres of land. Colorado has more than 24 million acres of federal land, which is about 36% of the state's total area. The BLM manages 8.3 million acres, and the Forest Service manages 16 million acres. Under the proposal, the two federal agencies would publish a list of parcels for sale every sixty days. They would give priority to land identified by state or local governments that is near existing development and infrastructure. National parks, monuments and recreation or wilderness areas would be excluded, and the land could only be used to develop housing. Colorado Democratic Congressman Joe Neguse managed to kill a similar proposal in the House. The Senate version is far more expansive, and he says it should concern anyone who cares about public lands, "In my view, this is a five-alarm fire for hunters, for ranchers, for fishermen, for recreationists, for conservationists," said Neguse. Secretary of Interior Doug Burgum says the federal government owns about 640 million acres and the proposal would leave 99% of the land untouched. "This is not about our most sacred and beautiful places. This is often about barren land next to highways with existing billboards that have no recreational value," Burgum said. Burgum says the public will be allowed to weigh in on the sales, but the final decision on what land is privatized will be up to the federal agencies. Neguse says public lands belong to everyone and should be held in trust for future generations, "Some of my most meaningful memories as a kid growing up in Colorado, camping with my parents, hiking with my dad. And to think that we may not be able to make the same commitment and promise to our children, our children's children, if these same lands are ultimately auctioned off, I think it should deeply concern every Coloradan." Republican Congresswoman Lauren Boebert supports the proposal, saying, "It promotes coordination, respects state and local priorities, and reflects a more sustainable approach to land management. The outrage from the far left is not only unwarranted, it's out of touch with the real challenges facing rural America." Colorado's other Republican members of Congress, Gabe Evans, Jeff Hurd and Jeff Crank, haven't said where they stand on the Senate proposal. Hurd opposed the House version. All of Colorado's Democratic members of Congress oppose the plan, saying it will also hurt Colorado's $17 billion outdoor recreation industry. The land sales are expected to generate $5 - $10 billion over the next ten years, with most of the money going to reduce the deficit.
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Public lands sell-off plan draws blowback among Colorado Democrats
U.S. House Assistant Minority Leader Joe Neguse, a Lafayette Democrat, speaks at a press conference on protecting public lands May 28, 2025, at the Lake Estes Marina. (Lindsey Toomer/Colorado Newsline) Democratic members of the Colorado congressional delegation criticized a recent proposal by U.S. Sen. Mike Lee, a Utah Republican, to allow the federal government to sell off more than 2 million acres of public land. The proposal covers 11 Western states, including Colorado. Introduced Wednesday, the proposal would target 'underused' public lands to sell for housing development, roads, water infrastructure and other projects, according to Lee. During a remote news conference Friday, the proposal drew disapproval from U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet, as well as Reps. Joe Neguse of Lafayette, Jason Crow of Centennial and Brittany Pettersen of Lakewood. '(This proposal) is a five alarm fire for hunters, for fishermen, for conservationists, for recreationists and for everyday Colorado folks who enjoy these lands and who are committed to preserving them for future generations,' Neguse said. 'The fact that they are potentially trying to auction off these lands to pay for President (Donald) Trump's reckless tax agenda, tax cuts for billionaires and large corporations, in my view, is shameful.' Neguse represents Colorado's 2nd Congressional District, 60% of which is made up of public lands. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Lee's proposal would insert the public lands sell-off measure into the GOP 'big, beautiful' tax and spending bill, which was passed by the House and is now before the Senate. Under the proposal, state and local governments would have priority to purchase the federal lands, and areas that already have a designation — like national parks, national monuments and mining claim sites — would be safe from sale. Public lands advocates fear for Colorado's national parks under Trump budget proposals Colorado is home to 23 million acres of federal public lands, which play a significant role in many local economies. Sarah Shrader, the president of the Grand Valley Outdoor Recreation Coalition in Grand Junction, called on Congress to save Colorado's public lands from sale. 'These lands must remain protected, accessible and managed for the benefit of everyone, not just a few,' Shrader said. 'It's an economic imperative, an environmental responsibility and a moral commitment to future generations.' Tony Prendergast, a hunting guide and rancher based in Crawford, pointed to the widespread support of his community for the protection of public lands, regardless of their political affiliation. 'There's nothing like this issue that will fire up people like me to get involved politically,' Prendergast said. 'The depth of the anger I feel, and the disappointment in those elected officials who are putting this proposal forward and those who will support this, is intense for me.' After bipartisan opposition to a recent public land sale proposal in the House, the plan was axed. Bennet said he hopes there will be enough common ground to defeat the Senate proposal through continued negotiations. 'Public lands make Colorado, Colorado,' Bennet said. 'They make the West, the West. They're the foundation of our economy, and they represent treasured parts of our culture, our geography and our history.' SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
05-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
'We've got to do more to stop it': House member on 'scourge of antisemitism'
Rep. Joe Neguse, D-Col., joins Morning Joe to discuss the recent attack in Boulder where a man who shouted "free Palestine" and used a "makeshift flamethrower" on demonstrators marching in support of Israeli hostages held by Hamas.
Yahoo
25-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Rep. Neguse calls out ‘brazen corruption' of Trump crypto coin dinner
Congressman Joe Neguse joins The Weekend to discuss the corruption behind Trump's crypto dinner last week and how Democrats are fighting back against the GOP's bill containing massive budget cuts to SNAP and Medicaid.
Axios
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Axios
Neguse calls out "astounding" GOP provision in big budget bill
U.S. Rep. Joe Neguse took House Judiciary Chair Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) to task Wednesday morning during a House Rules Committee meeting over a provision in the sweeping budget reconciliation bill to restrict federal judges' ability to enforce contempt findings. State of play: Tucked in the multitrillion-dollar " One Big, Beautiful Bill" moving through the U.S. House is a paragraph curtailing a court's ability to obligate the government to follow its rulings. "The goal is to stop frivolous lawsuits, according to a committee spokesperson," per CNN. Why it matters: Nationwide injunctions from lower courts have grown common starting with the Obama administration and exploding in President Trump's first term. What they're saying:"This is a deep deviation from existing federal law," Neguse, a Lafayette Democrat, said Wednesday. "And I find it astounding ... I imagine there will be a lot of limited government advocates who will find deep reasons to be concerned about this type of provision because as you can imagine it will preclude folks from being able to vindicate their constitutional rights." The other side: Jordan said the committee would take another "look at the language" in the provision.
