Latest news with #SenateJudiciaryCommittee
Newsweek
4 hours ago
- Politics
- Newsweek
Republican Defends Potential Sale of Million Acres of Public Land
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Republican Senator Mike Lee has defended his push to include the potential sale of public lands in the party's budget reconciliation bill, arguing that criticism of the idea is misplaced and that the provision is necessary to address the country's housing crisis. Speaking with conservative podcast host Glenn Beck on Thursday, Lee responded to what he called "falsehoods being circulated by the Left," and said that objections to his proposal failed to grasp its parameters. "When this bill puts land in the category of eligibility for sale, it doesn't mean for sale," Lee said. "It just means there's a process by which it could be transferred." Newsweek reached out to Lee's office for comment. Why It Matters The plan, which some estimate could put hundreds of millions of acres of public land up for auction, has sparked intense backlash from environmentalist groups and other advocates for the conservation of America's wilderness. Criticism has also come from lawmakers, including from members of Lee's own party, which has already been grappling with internal divisions over other elements of President Donald Trump's "big, beautiful bill." What To Know Lee, who chairs the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, has long advocated for making public land under federal stewardship available for housing projects, introducing a bill on the issue in 2022. He announced his plans to incorporate the provision into the GOP's tax bill last week. Senator Mike Lee speaks during a Senate Judiciary Committee markup in Washington, D.C., on June 5, 2025. Senator Mike Lee speaks during a Senate Judiciary Committee markup in Washington, D.C., on June 5, 2025. Francis Chung/POLITICO via AP Images According to an updated draft released by his committee, this would direct the secretaries of Agriculture and Interior to "select for disposal" between 0.5 and 0.75 percent of land currently held by the U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management across 11 eligible states, equivalent to between two and three million acres. However, analysis by The Wilderness Society found that more than 250 million acres could be at risk, including 18.7 million acres in Lee's home state of Utah. Lee has called the map released by the group "flat out misleading." Newsweek reached out to the Wilderness Society via email for comment. A fact sheet released by Lee's committee last week said that selling off government-owned land would "increase the supply of housing and decrease housing costs for millions of American families," but the proposal has faced intense pushback from environmental groups. A letter, drafted by Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance and signed by nearly 150 similar organizations, was sent to members of the Senate this week, urging them to oppose the budget reconciliation bill if this provision remains in place. "We strongly oppose any attempts to recklessly sell public lands through legislative shortcuts like budget reconciliation, which bypass public input, environmental review, and accountability," the letter read. "Doing so threatens public access, undermines responsible land management, puts environmental values, cultural resources, and endangered species at risk along with clean drinking water for 60 million Americans and betrays the public's trust Jeff Crane, president and CEO of the Congressional Sportsmen's Foundation, told Newsweek that, "for millions of sportsmen and women, federal public lands provide unmatched access for our hunting, fishing, trapping, and recreational shooting traditions." "This network of lands that belong to all of us is a key component to what makes America unique," Crane said. Some Republicans, too, have come out in opposition. A spokesperson for Montana Representative Ryan Zinke, who helped successfully remove a similar but more limited proposal from the House version of the tax bill last month, told The New York Times that he remains "a hard no on any bill that includes the large-scale sale of public lands." What People Are Saying Utah Senator Mike Lee, Thursday on The Glenn Beck Program: "The federal government owns 640 million acres of land, nearly a third of all land in the United States. The vast majority of that land has zero recreational value. Disposing of a fraction of 1 percent of that, so that the next generation can afford a home, is a common-sense solution to a national problem." In an article for Deseret News last year, Lee wrote: "The federal government's stranglehold on the West means our communities can't fully benefit from the lands surrounding them. The inability to access these lands or collect property taxes stifles local economies and strains public services." The Wilderness Society, in a statement: "The bill directs what is likely the largest single sale of national public lands in modern history to help cut taxes for the richest people in the country. It trades ordinary Americans' access to outdoor recreation for a short-term payoff that disproportionately benefits the privileged and well-connected." Jeff Crane, president and CEO of the Congressional Sportsmen's Foundation, told Newsweek: "While we are not opposed to the sale of public lands in principle, we do not support the sale of lands through budget reconciliation as there are existing processes in place that we need to leverage to address challenges facing local communities. Without allowing time to properly identify and vet lands set for disposal, critical access for sportsmen and women may be lost." Travis Hammill, DC director for the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance, in a statement: "Senator Lee's never-ending attacks on public lands continue. His hostility stands in stark contrast with Americans' deep and abiding love of public lands. Senator Lee's plan puts Utah's redrock country in the crosshairs of unchecked development." "Utah and the West, public lands are the envy of the country – but Senator Lee is willing to sacrifice the places where people recreate, where they hunt and fish, and where they make a living – to pay for tax cuts for the ultra-wealthy," he added. "The Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance, our members, and our partners will work to defeat this Bill." What Happens Next Lee told Beck he believed there was a "very good chance" of the provision being included in the tax bill, which he said the Senate will be considering "as early as next week." The reconciliation narrowly made it through the House last month. With growing public opposition and a handful of dissenting members within the GOP, the One Big Beautiful Act is on a similarly rocky path before it can move to Trump's desk.
Sky News AU
17 hours ago
- Politics
- Sky News AU
‘Failures' of Joe Biden exposed during committee hearing
Republican Senator Katie Britt has hit out at the Democrats for refusing to show up to a committee addressing the 'failures' of former US president Joe Biden. The senator's comments came at a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing named 'Unfit to Serve: How the Biden Cover-Up Endangered America and Undermined the Constitution'. Senator Britt condemned the Democrats who did not attend the hearing, saying the American people 'deserve better'. 'You look at what the administration did, you look at what the democrat party did, you look at what the legacy media did, it is absolutely inexcusable, it is not only dangerous, it is disgusting,' she said. Britt then drew into question Joe Biden's time as president and his most controversial decisions. 'When we're looking at what Joe Biden did while he was in office, you have a disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan, leaving equipment, leaving allies, changing the way the world viewed us,' she said. 'You look at an emboldened Russia, Iran … you look at millions flooding across our border … you look at hundreds of thousands of Americans dead because of fentanyl poisoning … who was in charge?'
American Press
a day ago
- Health
- American Press
Senate Republicans hold hearing on Biden's mental fitness as Democrats boycott
President Joe Biden speaks to a crowd gathered at the Lake Charles Civic Center with the I-10 Bridge in the background during his May 6 visit to Lake Charles. (American Press Archives) Nearly six months after Joe Biden left the White House, Senate Republicans are still scrutinizing his presidency, kicking off the first in what's expected to be a series of congressional hearings this year on his mental fitness in office. Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee brought in three witnesses Wednesday — none of whom served in Biden's administration — to scrutinize his time in office, arguing that Biden, his staff and the media must be held accountable. Democrats boycotted the hearing and criticized Republicans for 'arm chair diagnosing' Biden when the committee could be looking into serious matters. Sen. John Cornyn of Texas, who co-chaired the hearing, said that they will aim to 'shine a light on exactly what went on in the White House during Biden's presidency.' 'We simply cannot ignore what transpired because President Biden is no longer in office,' Cornyn said. A spokesperson for Biden declined to comment on the hearing. It was the first in what could be several hearings about Biden in the coming months. Over in the House, the Oversight Committee has subpoenaed several of Biden's former staff members, along with his White House doctor, ordering him to testify at a June 27 hearing 'as part of the investigation into the cover-up of President Joe Biden's cognitive decline.' Questions about Biden's age and fitness erupted last summer after his disastrous performance in a debate against Donald Trump, which ultimately led to his withdrawal from the race.
NDTV
a day ago
- Politics
- NDTV
Donald Trump's Verbal Gaffes Under Spotlight At Hearing Meant For Biden
New Delhi: A Senate hearing to scrutinise former US President Joe Biden's mental acuity, took a 180-degree turn with Illinois Senator Dick Durbin putting Donald Trump in the spotlight. Durbin, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, played a video montage of Trump's verbal gaffes, calling attention to the US President's own cognitive abilities. "I'd like you to see a short video that includes some other examples of cognitive ability," Durbin said, as he introduced the clip. The footage included bizarre one-liners such as: "They're eating the dogs, the people that came in. They're eating the cats. They're eating." "This is a tough hurricane, one of the wettest we've ever seen from the standpoint of water." "The windmills are driving the whales crazy, obviously." "I have concepts of a plan." "The kidney has a very special place in the heart." "And then I see the disinfectant that knocks [COVID-19] out in a minute. One minute. And is there a way we can do something like that, by injection inside, or almost a cleaning?" Durbin also referred to a recent Trump gaffe at the G7 summit in Canada where the President fumbled trade documents and wrongly claimed the UK was part of the European Union. Before playing the video, the Senator criticised his Republican colleagues for convening the hearing, which aimed to investigate Biden's mental sharpness and alleged efforts to cover up any decline. "This is our first Judiciary Committee oversight hearing of the 118th Congress," Durbin said. "And not one single oversight hearing has been held despite numerous critical challenges facing the nation that are under our jurisdiction." He went on to list those challenges, including the shooting of two Democratic lawmakers in Minnesota, the removal of Sen. Alex Padilla (D-CA) by federal agents, and the deployment of Marines and the deployment of the National Guard in Los Angeles under Trump's administration. "But instead of exercising this constitutional oversight duty," he continued, "my Republican colleagues are holding this hearing. Apparently, armchair diagnosing former President Biden is more important than the issues of grave concern, which I have mentioned." Last year, mounting concerns over Joe Biden's mental acuity, fuelled by a string of public gaffes, ultimately forced him to withdraw from the 2024 race and endorse former Vice President Kamala Harris. Repeated slip-ups, like calling Ukraine's Volodydmyr Zelensky "President Putin," mixing up Trump and Harris, and freezing during the presidential debate, intensified bipartisan concerns about his cognitive health. A particularly poor showing at the G7 summit and NATO events only added to the growing unease. Democratic leaders, alarmed by internal polling and public backlash, began pressuring Biden behind the scenes. After weeks of speculation and rising calls to step aside, Biden announced on July 21, 2024, that he would not seek re-election.
Arab Times
a day ago
- Politics
- Arab Times
US Senate Republicans hold hearing on Biden's mental fitness as Democrats boycott
WASHINGTON, June 19, (AP): Nearly six months after Joe Biden left the White House, Senate Republicans are still scrutinizing his presidency, kicking off the first in what's expected to be a series of congressional hearings this year on his mental fitness in office. Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee brought in three witnesses Wednesday - none of whom served in Biden's administration - to scrutinize his time in office, arguing that Biden, his staff and the media must be held accountable. Democrats boycotted the hearing and criticized Republicans for "arm chair diagnosing' Biden when the committee could be looking into serious matters. Sen. John Cornyn of Texas, who co-chaired the hearing, said that they will aim to "shine a light on exactly what went on in the White House during Biden's presidency.' "We simply cannot ignore what transpired because President Biden is no longer in office,' Cornyn said. A spokesperson for Biden declined to comment on the hearing. It was the first in what could be several hearings about Biden in the coming months. Over in the House, the Oversight Committee has subpoenaed several of Biden's former staff members, along with his White House doctor, ordering him to testify at a June 27 hearing "as part of the investigation into the cover-up of President Joe Biden's cognitive decline.' Questions about Biden's age and fitness erupted last summer after his disastrous performance in a debate against Donald Trump, which ultimately led to his withdrawal from the race. Even after Trump won back the presidency in November, Republicans have continued to hammer on Biden's age, citing in part new reporting about Biden that was published this year. Trump now alleges that Biden administration officials may have forged the former president's signature and taken sweeping actions without his knowledge, though he provided no evidence of that happening. But Trump has ordered lawyers at the White House and the Justice Department investigate. Republicans played clips during the hearing Wednesday of Democrats defending Biden. In the montage, the Democrats talk about how Biden was mentally sharp when he was in office. "Most Democrats on this committee have chosen to all but boycott the hearing and have failed to call a single witness,' said Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Mo. "They have chosen to ignore this issue, like they ignored President Biden's decline.' Sen. Dick Durbin, the committee's top Democrat, criticized Republicans for holding a hearing on the last president at a time when "numerous critical challenges facing the nation that are under our jurisdiction.'
