Omnibus Public Land Management Act

Has Overwhelming Support in Congress

but Goes Down in Defeat!

Say What?

You have to love the way our system works sometimes (Insert sarcasm here). The Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009, a bill that would have established two million acres of new wilderness and make the Pacific Northwest Trail and the New England Trail National Scenic Trails among other things-a bill that had wide bipartisan support (73-21) in the Senate was defeated in the house by 2 votes.

Final Vote 282 For
144 Against
6 Not Voting

If it had 282 votes for it-then how could it have possibly been defeated you are probably thinking. Well- you are going to love this-the bill failed in the House of Representatives this week by roll call vote. The vote was held under a suspension of the rules to cut debate short and pass the bill, needing a two-thirds majority. Something that usually occurs for non-controversial legislation.

Repeat after me:
Un-insert a common profane modifier here-believable!

It appears that 141 of the 178 House Republicans and three Blue Dog Dems didn't like the bill. For the usual anti-wilderness forces its just business as usual-but perhaps for a few of the more open thinkers they got cold feet because of all of the crazy spending that has been going on recently.

Gotta love the irony of this session tough. Yep- Don't pay your mortgage- Congress and the Prez come to your rescue! Swindle tax payers with toxic mortgages and investments-Congress and the Prez come to your rescue! Run a major company that can't turn a profit-hey-don't worry- Congress and the Prez will come to your rescue!But try to protect a few small corners of undeveloped America for wild critters and future generations-and you can Forgetaboutit!

So I suppose its back to the drawing board and perhaps best so that any toxic amendments that were attached to this bill can be stripped off before trying all over again. Then again-we came so close-its so frustrating! Before we re-camp-be sure to check out the heroes and zeros below and let them know how you feel.

Heroes and Zeros

Thank your Democratic congressperson unless its James Marshall of Georgia, Collin Peterson of Minnesota, or Dan Boren of Oklahoma. Bobby Bright of Alabama, Suzanne Kosmas of Florida and John Hall of New York didn't vote and they could have made the difference on this vote! Ask them why they weren't doing their job!

Thirty-four republicans voted for the bill and they should be thanked-among them-
Michael Simpson of Idaho, Greg Walden of Oregon, Donald Young of Alaska, and our Dave Reichert of Washington.

Admonish Cathy McMorris-Rodgers and Doc Hastings of WA for voting against this bill-the only two Congressional members in the entire Northwest delegation (WA, OR, ID, AK) that voted against this bill! The entire New England Congressional delegation voted for the bill and they should be thanked.

(photo-A scene in the Holyoke Hills of Massachusetts where the proposed New England National Trail Travels over)