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On Thursday, April 16th, the United States Senate voted to pass H.J. Resolution 140, 50-49. Despite months of emails and phone calls and a massive, concerted effort by Sportsmen for the Boundary Waters and partner organizations from around the country in recent days, the vote went largely along party lines, with only two Republicans voting “no.” We are incredibly grateful for Senators Tillis (R- NC) and Collins (R-ME) for breaking party lines and standing up for the Boundary Waters, but extremely disappointed in the Senators who voted for the measure, especially those who are members of sporting and stewardship caucuses. So what happens now? What does the passage of HJ Res 140 actually mean? Here at Sportsmen for the Boundary Waters, we want to set the record straight and ensure that, no matter what the next steps are, we’re all working together with the most accurate information available. 

Today, the U.S. Senate voted 50 - 49 to pass House Joint Resolution 140 (H.J. Res. 140), which was introduced by Representative Pete Stauber (MN-08) in the House. This comes after the bill's swift passage in the House of Representatives on January 21st and months of work from Sportsmen for the Boundary Waters and a coalition of conservation organizations to stop this action in its tracks.  When presented with sound facts, scientific data, a well-organized opposition campaign, and direct outreach from constituents on both sides of the aisle, Congress chose to side with private interests by using an obscure congressional loophole rather than upholding the overwhelming will of the American outdoor community.