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Update
Update
November 9, 2026 - It passed. The Senate passed the cloture vote on BAAJA, including many Democrats. It has more votes to go....
Say NO!!!!
To the Bipartisan American Affordability and Jobs Act (BAAJA), negotiated by Senators Martin Heinrich, Sheldon Whitehouse, Shelley Moore Capito, and Mike Lee (Mr. "I Hate Public Lands"). Commonly called the Permitting Reform Bill.
November 9, 2026 - Washington D.C. - Since 2009 when we started fighting to protect our beautiful public lands desert ecosystems and recreation, and our quality of life for rural communities, we have seldom if ever seen such a horrible bill be proposed in Congress by both Democrats and Republicans.
The power and influence of special-interest lobbyists, Political Action Committees (PACs), and corporate money has pushed several old-guard Senators from both parties to push this terrible bill which would gut bedrock environmental laws, such as the national Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), which was designed to allow us--The People, the public land owners--have a say in bad projects, ill-sited projects, and development that would harm our quality of life and the natural and cultural resources important to us as taxpayers.
The bill tries to squash "NIMBY" involvement--"Not In My Backyard"--which actually means people who value their local environment and quality of life, and want a say in how local lands and neighborhoods are managed.
The bill tries to squash the Clean Water Act and the Endangered Species Act.
The bill as originally written would gut the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA), which has been very important in preserving tribal and cultural resources from destruction by development projects.
The bill has been pushed by many Democrats in order to streamline renewable energy projects on public lands.
Renewable energy projects are already streamlined! The vast majority of utility-scale solar, wind, and geothermal projects are approved, despite any local or environmental opposition.
Economic factors often lead to project withdrawal, due to lack of funding, subsidy, investor interest, or problems with international pipeline of materials such as solar cells.
The same weakening of bedrock environmental laws such as NEPA will also allow developers of fossil fuel projects, pipelines, data centers, and mines to use these streamlining shortcuts for their benefit.
This is a corporate giveaway disguised as a "permitting reform" bill, that undercuts public participation in our public lands. Both political parties are guilty of being overly influenced by lobbyists!
Desert ironwood in California's Colorado Desert. Hundreds of these beautiful trees have already been bulldozed for large-scale energy projects on public lands. Permits for developers have already been streamlined!
Greenlink West Transmission Project actively permitted and under construction in Amargosa Valley, Nevada, on public lands. We took this photo on November 5, 2026. This massive 300-mile-long 525 kiloVolt which will transport natural gas, solar, and geothermal energy sailed through review under the National Environmental Policy Act despite huge impacts to Tribes and culutral sites, the upper Amargosa River, Mojave desert tortoise, and sage-grouse. Environmental laws are already streamlined.
Contact your Senator and simply tell them No! on the BAAJA Bill.
https://www.senate.gov/senators/senators-contact.htm
NEPA is already on life-support. It has been from years of attacks by Congress and special interests. We do not need to weaken this public lands and public participation law further.
This is not an emergency that needs to be voted on by Monday. We need full Public Participation and more time to even take a look at the 400-page amended bill! It has been rushed in Congress with changes over the weekend--Why the rush? (Answer: follow the lobby $$$$$$)
Below is an opposition statement today from Tribes on cultural threats posed by this bad bill as amended. The original bill would allow the federal government to take over Tribal Historic Preservation Officers if they did not actively allow projects!
A run-down of articles and analysis on the BAAJA bill:
Bill McKibben Substack: https://billmckibben.substack.com/p/post-wave-politics?r=iv0q&utm_medium=ios
Public Citizen: https://www.citizen.org/article/senate-permitting-legislation-baaja-lng-exports-affordability-harm/
Common Dreams: https://www.commondreams.org/news/democrats-permitting-reform
NRDC: https://www.nrdc.org/press-releases/nrdc-senate-permitting-bill-still-needs-improvements
Earth Justice: https://earthjusticeaction.org/news/earthjustice-action-responds-to-managers-amendment-for-senate-permitting-bill
Center for Biological Diversity: https://biologicaldiversity.org/w/news/press-releases/hundreds-of-organizations-oppose-endangered-species-attacks-in-permitting-legislation-2026-10-06/ and on their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/CenterforBioDiv/posts/its-not-too-late-to-call-your-senators-to-urge-them-to-oppose-senate-bill-5653-a/1599923308829196/
DEFEND the DESERT
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