by Anne Millbrooke, Bozeman
Oh, no. Not again. Sen. Daines said one thing, and he is doing the opposite?!
I refer to the news: “Sen. Steve Daines is negotiating a deal with Senate Energy and Natural Resources Chair Mike Lee to sell public lands in the Republicans’ tax cut, energy and national security megabill. Daines, a Montana Republican who has repeatedly vowed that he will never support the sale of public lands…” (https://subscriber.politicopro.com/article/eenews/2025/06/05/daines-lee-discuss-compromise-on-public-land-sales-00388054?/)
Setting the example, establishing a legal precedence, opening the sales door, feeding profiteers – those matter more than the size of any sale. Public lands are held in trust for the people of the United States – WE THE PEOPLE – and not political opportunists and their donors, and certainly not profiteers!
We the people have invested in the care of these public lands our whole taxed lives, just as our parents and grandparents and great grandparents invested in these lands. They belong to future generations. They are not gifts or political favors to be distributed by you or any current politicians.
Please, Sen. Daines, reconsider.