Washington, D.C. — Today, the Center for American Progress Action Fund released the fourth and final installment in a series that examines the growing fringe of radical right-wing lawmakers who share outlaw rancher Cliven Bundy’s views that public lands should be either seized by the states or sold off to the highest bidder. The interactive map identifies 20 members of Congress and candidates for federal office whose views on federal lands and federal authority are similar to those of Bundy, 13 of whom will be on ballots in the November election.
“As the last round of primaries finish up across the country, we are seeing a small but growing contingent of politicians running on the radical argument that public lands should be sold off or seized by the states,” said Matt Lee-Ashley, Senior Fellow at the Center for American Progress Action Fund. “These views may help win a primary or raise money from special interests, but they are well outside the mainstream among Western voters who hunt, fish, and depend on public lands for their way of life and quality of life—it will be interesting to see how candidates are judged on this issue as their views come to light.”
Many of the politicians identified have been previously profiled in the series and on the website, BundysBuddies.com, which was launched recently by the Center for Western Priorities. Today, two members of Congress, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Rep. Raúl Labrador (R-ID), and one new candidate for federal office, State Rep. Andy Tobin (R-AZ), were added to the list of “Bundy’s Buddies.” The map also provides key information about the public lands in the politicians’ 10 states, including the three most visited public lands and the amount of consumer spending on outdoor recreation in each state, totaling more than $200 billion.
The previous three installments in the series provide an in-depth look at Bundy’s most prominent supporters, and the 15 members of Congress and state and local candidates behind the land-seizure movement in the West.
Read the analysis: Bundy’s Buddies: The Members of Congress and Congressional Hopefuls Who Want to Sell or Seize Public Lands in Your State by Claire Moser and Matt Lee-Ashley
To speak to an expert on this topic, contact Tom Caiazza at 202.481.7141 or [email protected].
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