Remembering 2011 Milestones
March 17th: Lee, McCain Submit Bill to Reduce Ownership of Federal Lands
WASHINGTON – Today, Senator Mike Lee of Utah and Senator John McCain of Arizona introduced legislation to reduce federal ownership of certain public lands and allow the land to be sold for more productive purposes. The bill directs the Secretary of Interior to dispose of federal lands identified in a 1997 Clinton Administration report deemed suitable for sale. Under this legislation, the amount of land sold would be equal to roughly 1% of all land managed by the Bureau of Land Management, and less than one half of one percent of all federal land. Representative Jason Chaffetz, also of Utah, recently introduced a similar bill in the House.
“It’s been more than a decade since the land was deemed suitable for disposal and there is no critical need for the federal government to hold on to it,” said Senator Lee. “The sale of the land alone could generate more than a $1 billion, and there is further economic benefit of putting the land to good use. That will mean jobs, future growth, and better prosperity for the surrounding areas.”
“It’s good for the state of Utah and I am happy to work with Senator McCain and my fellow Utahn Representative Chaffetz in the House in supporting the move.”
“The federal budget, much like the household budgets of millions of American families, is stretched alarmingly thin in today’s fiscal climate,” said Senator McCain. “Congress must explore all possible avenues for reducing our $1.4 trillion deficit and ballooning $14 trillion national debt. Our legislation aims to reduce the federal estate in a way that’s mindful of how we currently manage our public lands and seeks to dispose land that the federal government simply does not want.”
The bill is titled “The Reducing Federal Ownership of Public Lands Act”.
On Twitter
I would like to wish a happy Hanukkah to my Jewish friends.
— Mike Lee (@SenMikeLee) December 20, 2011
Obama’s $4 Million Hawaii Vacation blog.heritage.org/2011/12/18/oba…
— Brian Phillips (@SenLeeComs) December 19, 2011
Reminder: We will not hold our Utah Press Tele-Conference during the holiday recess. Feel free to contact me if you need anything. #utpress
— Emily Bennion (@SenLeePressSec) December 20, 2011
A case for markets and a case for federalism, together in one place: bit.ly/sraiYl #tcot #tlot #freemarket #markets #federalism
— Joe Tauke (@SenLeeResearch) December 20, 2011
Around the Water Cooler
The old-fashioned light bulb’s phaseout: a primer
These are confusing days to be shopping for a light bulb.
New federal standards were to kick in after the New Year requiring 100-watt bulbs to be more energy efficient. Then Congress, in a bill passed this month to keep the government running, blocked enforcement of the new law until October 2012.
So, is January the beginning of the end for the warm incandescent glow as we know it?
Top ten: Government spending at its stupidest
As the fight over how to fix America’s overspending habit ended in a stalemate this year, the federal government spent billions of dollars in 2011 on some unusual projects. And according to a new report from Oklahoma Republican Sen. Tom Coburn, $6.5 billion of it was wasted.
The list includes more than $100,000 on a video game “preservation” center, $120 million in salaries to dead employees and $15.3 million for one of the infamous Bridges to Nowhere — all in a year when the federal deficit rose by nearly $2 trillion.