By John Q. Hosedrinker 
In response to Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s call for his impeachment regarding the bombing of Iran, former President Trump launched a lengthy attack on the congresswoman, calling her “dumb” and questioning her qualifications. He then went on to criticize her and other progressive women of color in the Democratic Party. Trump also challenged Ocasio-Cortez to take the same cognitive test he once completed. In addition, he suggested she focus on her own district rather than pursuing his impeachment, while referencing low poll numbers for Democrats.
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Republicans Forced to Remove Sale of Public Lands From Budget Bill. That’s what we’re talking about here, and it’s a pretty big deal. The initial proposal, which came from Senator Lee of Utah, was to put up to 3.3 million acres of public land in 11 Western states up for sale. Can you imagine? This included land in national parks and conservation areas, places that are supposed to be protected for everyone.
This plan, as I understand it, received immediate backlash, and not just from the usual suspects. Folks on both sides of the aisle were concerned, along with conservation groups and anyone who enjoys the outdoors. They saw this as a potential disaster for some of the most cherished natural sites in the American West. The worry was that these lands would be sold off, not for affordable housing as claimed, but for things like trophy homes, exclusive golf communities, and other pricey developments. The whole thing felt like an attempt to fund tax breaks, which is a slap in the face to everyday folks.
Thank goodness for the Byrd rule, which apparently played a key role in stopping this from happening. The Byrd rule is one of those procedural things that often goes unnoticed, but it’s essential in preventing certain legislation from passing with a simple majority. This one ensured that the land grab couldn’t just sneak through. It forced them to remove the proposal. This is a win, and a huge one at that. It’s the kind of news that reminds us that, sometimes, when we pay attention and speak up, our voices can actually make a difference.
But let’s be real here; this isn’t the end of the story. Senator Lee has already stated he’ll be back with a modified, potentially “diluted” version of the plan. They’re not going to give up that easily. We have to stay vigilant because they’ll try again. They’ll try anything and everything, hoping no one is paying attention. And that’s why we need to remember this in every election, for the rest of our lives. The land is ours, it belongs to all of us, and we need to fight to protect it.
This whole episode highlights something I’ve always found frustrating. It seems like these budget bills often become vehicles for all sorts of unrelated agenda items. They jam in controversial proposals, hoping they’ll slide through unnoticed. It makes you wonder if the budget should be focused on just that, the budget. What they’re trying to pull is almost like they’re saying, “Hey, we’ll take this outrageous thing away, so you think we’re making a compromise and be happy with the rest of the garbage.”
This is also an important reminder that Republicans are a party of ideas, often lazy ideas. They just can’t seem to pull together a coherent legislative plan. They are always looking for that quick grab. That is where the sales of our land to subsidize the rich comes from. We have to be clear about this, this entire bill, and the idea of gutting our public lands to give billionaires even more money is absolutely and utterly disgusting.
It’s not just about public lands, either. The concerns go way beyond this singular issue. The potential cuts to Medicare and SNAP, the impacts on healthcare access, and the implications for the economy are all part of this story. It’s about who benefits, and who gets left behind. We need to be calling our representatives and letting them know we aren’t okay with this. We need them to vote no on this “Big Beautiful Bill.” Let’s not forget that they opened up over 58 million acres of forest land to logging, as well. These victories are hard-won. They will be back to try and sneak their destructive agenda through.
And the fight doesn’t stop there. We need to keep an eye out for these kinds of proposals, as we get closer to the 2026-2027 budget. This is exactly how they do it, shoving unpopular ideas into budget cycles, hoping no one notices. We should be actively pushing for any proposals that allow these things in the first place to be removed. Republicans are going to keep trying, and they want to privatize everything.
The fact that they even tried to sell public lands in the first place is appalling. They are so beholden to a specific group, they would sell anything, they would absolutely sell their mother’s grave to make a profit. It is a gross betrayal of the American people. We should be holding these politicians accountable for their actions, and for trying to undermine the well-being of the vast majority of Americans.