Comment by Nov. 9!
The election may be over, but the threats to our national forests are not. Too many leaders across the political spectrum still treat conservation values as the enemy of economic growth. That outdated thinking spawned the Bipartisan American Affordability and Jobs Act, aka BAAJA (Senate Bill 5653). BAAJA is an egregiously broad permitting bill that would directly feed corporate profits at the expense of our national forests and other public lands — our shared trust as U.S. citizens.
This has nothing to do with party politics. BAAJA is sponsored by members of Congress from both sides of the aisle — ethically challenged politicians who care more about filling their campaign coffers with dark money than about fulfilling their mandate to uphold the public trust, a foundational principle of our democratic republic.
If passed, BAAJA will radically restrict scientific review, public input, and judicial oversight of projects on our public lands, ensuring greater profits for the corporations that will more easily gain approval to exploit those lands.
As we strive to protect public lands, we must break through the dinosaur dichotomy of conservation vs. prosperity and show that conservation = prosperity. Healthy forests, intact watersheds, and thriving fish and wildlife habitat are the foundation of lasting economic well-being, not obstacles to it. Public input, environmental review, judicial oversight, and sound science are hallmarks of good governance, not hindrances to be eschewed.
BAAJA gets these backwards. It would:
- Lock in permits. Logging, mining, and drilling approvals would be nearly impossible to revisit or revoke, and taxpayers could owe corporate developers up to half of project costs if agencies try.
- Silence the public. Agencies could entirely skip public comment on environmental assessments.
- Hand industry the pen. Project sponsors could define the alternatives and write their own environmental reviews.
- Gut court oversight. Challenges must be filed within 150 days, and courts could no longer halt unlawful projects, only send the paperwork back while bulldozers continue steamrolling the land’s ecological values.
The clock is ticking. When the Senate returns November 9, its first vote will be on cloture, which needs 60 votes to bring the bill to the floor. If it clears, a final vote could follow within weeks.
Act now:
- Call your Senators before November 9 via the Capitol Switchboard, 202-224-3121. Urge a NO vote on cloture.
- Call again before the final vote. Ask them to oppose S. 5653 and any manager’s amendment that keeps its core rollbacks.
Commodifying our public lands while shutting out the public won’t make life more affordable. Intact public lands already provide clean water, hunting, fishing, and and a abundance of other recreation activities for all Americans, along with the local jobs they sustain. Please speak up today.
Senate path for BAAJA (S. 5653)
| Step | What happens | Timing |
|---|---|---|
| Introduced | Referred to Energy & Natural Resources; sponsors skipping hearings/markups | Sept. 30 |
| Cloture on motion to proceed | 60 votes needed to bring bill to the floor | Nov. 9 |
| Floor debate and amendments | Sponsors (Capito, Lee, Heinrich, Whitehouse) to offer a manager’s amendment | Days after Nov. 9 |
| Cloture on bill, then passage | Probably another 60-vote cloture vote, then final passage | Not yet scheduled |
| House | Must pass and reconcile with House SPEED Act | Before lame-duck session ends |
Additional Sources
- Western Environmental Law Center – BAAJA Policy Analysis
- Earthjustice – BAAJA Impact Guide
- Wes Siler – The Worst Thing That’s Ever Happened
- Union of Concerned Scientists – The Senate Permitting Deal Could Lock In Fossil Fuel Dominance
- Roll Call – Permitting bill writers seek industry aid ahead of Senate vote
- Bipartisan Policy Center – Explaining the Senate Permitting Bill
- 106Strong – Letter to Congress Explaining Impacts to National Historic Preservation Act Section 106 historical reviews
Photo: If passed, the Bipartisan American Affordability and Jobs Act will gift the industry with access to public lands to construct massive data centers like this $15-billion artificial intelligence Vantage Data Center in Port Washington, Wisconsin (iStock photo by John Touscany).
