Republican Senator Mike Lee has defended his push to include the potential sale of public lands in the party's budget reconciliation bill, arguing that criticism of the idea is misplaced and that the provision is necessary to address the country's housing crisis.

As the Senate continues to comb through the Big Beautiful Bill, 258 million acres of public land across the western U.S., including large swaths of California, could soon be eligible for sale. A map published by the Wilderness Society,