House defeats wilderness bill

[babylonsister]

House defeats wilderness bill

By MATTHEW DALY – 37 minutes ago


WASHINGTON (AP) — The House Wednesday defeated a bill to set aside more than 2 million acres in nine states as protected wilderness.

Majority Democrats agreed to amend the bill to clarify that it wouldn't impose new restrictions on hunting, fishing or trapping on federal land. The amendment was sought by the National Rifle Association.

A majority of House members supported the bill, but the measure was defeated because it did not receive the needed two-thirds votes. The vote was 282-144 in favor — two votes short of approval.

House debate on the bill turned contentious, as Republicans complained that the measure — one of the largest expansions of wilderness protection in 25 years — would cost up to $10 billion and block oil and gas development on millions of acres of federal property.

They also said it should not have been brought up under special rules that blocked most amendments and required two-thirds support for passage. Such rules are usually reserved for non-controversial bills.

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http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5ja3vNS7u_ovPaeUpzrEKqDzs5TjAD96RV2VO0

[villager]

1. "We sabotage wildnerness protection -- we're the NRA"

A group of shitheads gets ever more shitheaded....

[elizfeelinggreat]

2. darn it :(

[navarth]

3. fucking bastards

Let's plant some oil wells in their back yards and see how they like it.

[Robb]

4. It was too big.

It's a very long bill. I agree with most of the big-W Wilderness designations, but there was some troubling water rights stuff in there, as well as a host of other things. That stuff precluded Republicans from voting for it if they ever wanted a chance in their districts again, so it's no surprising they did everything they could to stop it.

I think the land designations could easily pass if brought again on their own, and I suspect that will happen.