The News
Sen. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., endorsed a Trump administration initiative meant to use federal lands as a way to address the country’s housing crisis.
Gallego sent a letter, first viewed by Semafor, applauding the administration’s new Joint Task Force on Federal Land for Housing, formed to identify lands for development and pinpoint areas with the most pressing housing needs.
“I definitely want to work on it,” he told Semafor.
The freshman senator also requested details on how the administration plans to engage with private developers and affected communities. He’s also interested in whether transportation, school, and employment will factor into determining which lands are considered.
“What I don’t want to see is us selling plots of land in some of the most beautiful national forests and parks just so some rich guy can get a 50-acre ranch,” he said.