'Republicans Dictating From DC': Leger Fernandez Slams BBB Public Land Sale Provisions

4 months ago

During a House Natural Resources Committee hearing in July, Rep. Teresa Leger Fernández (D-TX) spoke about the Big Beautiful Bill's provisions allowing the sale of public lands.

Transcript

00:00Mr. Chair. Ms. Ledger Fernandez, you're recognized. Thank you, Mr. Chair. I think what's important

00:07to remember about this bill is what it is blocking. And it is blocking the implementation

00:15of the land protection plan. The land protection plan from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

00:24that would expand the Muleshoe Wildlife Refuge in West Texas and eastern New Mexico. This is a plan

00:35that has taken years to develop. It isn't a mandate. It is a plan intended to carry out

00:46important objectives developed at the local level with input from people on the ground

00:55over there. The state of New Mexico, our Game and Fish, which is all about increasing opportunity

01:03for fishermen and hunters and birders to be able to enjoy the outdoors, is in support of this

01:13because they participated at that local level in developing this plan. And I am going to echo

01:20the sentiments of the ranking member that this bill does take away the option for private landowners

01:27to voluntarily sell their land to the federal government for conservation purposes. And the

01:35reason why that federal government is the buyer is because it does have the resources to build

01:42upon other refuges. And I actually was out in this area about last month, about maybe five weeks

01:49ago. You forget because of all of the closures from us not doing the business we should be doing

01:54because of the Epstein files, but I digress. I think that I was out in this beautiful park and went to

02:02another refuge there. And we need to remember that these refuges with refugees are important because they

02:10create the beads, the areas by which the birds may go from one place to another to another. And so linking

02:20them together, even though they might not be contiguous, is important. And it was beautiful. The birds that we

02:28saw a hundred kinds of different insects and dragonflies, a hundred different kinds of dragonflies in this one

02:40refuge. And it's, these are the kinds of things that are out in these areas and to protect them from loss is

02:45important. So this idea of dictating from DC, this is another effort where we have Republicans dictating from DC, what should happen

02:57in areas like in Eastern New Mexico and West Texas. And we sell in the efforts by Republicans in their

03:08big ugly bill to actually sell off public lands. There was an outcry. People want to have some of these

03:15protections from the public lands. And I am going to read from another section of Representative Raleigh's

03:22testimony, because I think it's important to hear from the ranchers who want to do this. And I'm going to quote, I am also a

03:32Republican, a Trump supporter and a staunch advocate of private property rights. In my mind, no one, and particularly not the

03:40federal government should have the right to tell a private property owner who they can or cannot sell their land to. It is a

03:47fundamental part of our property rights system in America to retain the freedom to do with my land as I see fit.

03:55Whether that is to sell it for conservation or development, landowners should be free to use or develop their

04:03property as they see fit, and should not be told by any other party who to I may sell or give an interest in my

04:11land to if I so choose. That's an important part of being an American. He opposes this bill. And it is that idea of

04:21allowing the voluntary sale. And what is upsetting is that down in the community, there are those who oppose

04:31this plan and are saying the federal government is going to take your land. Absolutely not. This is not a taking. This is an

04:39opportunity that some ranchers and farmers may want to lose and others not. So why do you want to take away this

04:47opportunity which will serve a public purpose which we know Americans support, which will create recreation

04:55and opportunities and birding and hunting and fishing for many others. I support all of those and I support the

05:05the opportunity for private landowners to do what they want with this bill. And so I rise in opposition to it. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

05:15Ladies, Tom.

'Republicans Dictating From DC': Leger Fernandez Slams BBB Public Land Sale Provisions

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