Representative Diana DeGette (D-CO) sponsored an amendment to H.R. 7900, the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2023, to attach to the defense authorization bill the Protect America’s Wilderness and Public Lands Act, an ambitious public lands package that combined the following six bills: The Colorado Wilderness Act, Northwest California Wilderness, Recreation, and Working Forests Act (H.R. 878), San Gabriel Mountains Foothills and Rivers Protection Act (H.R. 693), Wild Olympics Wilderness and Wild and Scenic Rivers Act (H.R. 999), Central Coast Heritage Protection Act (H.R. 973), and the Rim of the Valley Corridor Preservation Act (H.R. 1075) as well as the Cerro de la Olla Wilderness Establishment Act (H.R. 2422). This legislation would preserve majestic landscapes and rivers in states across the West – including New Mexico, Colorado, California, and Washington – for future generations, protect Indigenous lands and cultural sites from oil and gas development, improve access to public lands for underserved communities, address the threats of climate change by increasing wildfire resiliency, and boost our country’s thriving outdoor recreation economy. On July 14, the House approved the DeGette amendment by a vote of 219-207 (House roll call vote 346). YES IS THE PRO-ENVIRONMENT VOTE. The DeGette amendment was not included in the final NDAA, which the president signed into law on December 23.