Mike Lee Withdraws Attempt To Sell Federal Land From BBB

One of the most unpopular aspects of the Big Beautiful Bill (BBB) was the provision in a Congressional omnibus to fund Trump’s mandate for office, which included the liquidation of federal held public land. This provision was widely hated, despite being floated by President Trump.

But now Mike Lee has withdrawn the proposal.

Over the past several weeks, I’ve spent a lot of time listening to members of the community, local leaders, and stakeholders across the country. While there has been a tremendous amount of misinformation-and in some cases, outright lies-about my bill, many people brought forward sincere concerns.

Because of the strict constraints of the budget reconciliation process, I was unable to secure clear, enforceable safeguards to guarantee that these lands would be sold only to American families-not to China, not to BlackRock, and not to any foreign interests.
For that reason, I’ve made the decision to withdraw the federal land sales provision from the bill.

I continue to believe the federal government owns far too much land-land it is mismanaging and in many cases ruining for the next generation. Under

Democratic presidents, massive swaths of the West are being locked away from the people who live there, with no meaningful recourse. That has real consequences for Utahns-from raising taxes for schools and funding local search-and-rescue operations, to being able to build homes and sustain rural communities.

President Trump promised to put underutilized federal land to work for American families, and I look forward to helping him achieve that in a way that respects the legacy of our public lands and reflects the values of the people who use them most.

I’m grateful to everyone who took the time to offer thoughtful feedback. Your voices helped strengthen this bill, and they will continue to shape the path forward.

Mike Lee’s concession showcases the waning power of libertarianism within the Trump Administration.