Sparkling Wit And All-Around Wonderful Person Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) Wants To Sell National Parks [View all]

[hatrack]

The new chair of the powerful Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee secured a vote Thursday afternoon in the U.S. Senate on a controversial proposal to sell off America’s national forests and other public lands.

U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski’s (R-AK) amendment, which passed by a vote of 51 to 49, is now part of the Senate’s nonbinding budget resolution. The proposal would support and fund state efforts — which many argue are unconstitutional — to seize and sell America’s public lands. These include all national forests, wildlife refuges, wilderness areas, historic sites, and national monuments.

Murkowski’s amendment, which would need further legislation to become law, follows a similar proposal from House Natural Resources Committee Chair Rob Bishop (R-UT) to spend $50 million of taxpayer dollars to fund the sale or transfer of U.S. public lands to states.

The land grab proposals in Congress this year appear to echo the calls of outlaw rancher Cliven Bundy, best known for his armed standoff with federal officials last year, who has infamously refused to recognize the authority of the federal government, including over public lands.

EDIT

http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2015/03/26/3639683/senate-sell-off-public-lands/

There's plenty to love about Sen. Murkowski, you betcha! There's the way she cares about the environment, as her record shows. She obviously cares deeply about preserving the world's largest wild salmon fishery for future generations. She's been a real champion for renewable energy, especially solar.

But you know what I like about Lisa Murkowski the most? It's her sense of integrity! It's the fact that she would never succumb to the temptations of political donations and do the wrong thing for her constituents, especially where the environment is concerned. And she would certainly never accept the position of Senator as appointed by her father - that would smack of nepotism!

So let's have a big DU round of applause for Sen. Lisa Murkowski - may she serve her constituents - and America - for at least as many years at Ted Stevens so nobly did!