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.

Mike Lee (R-Utah) makes like a tree and leaves national forests — and other federally owned land — alone. Last week, the Lee-led Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee released a draft proposal,

The provision to sell public lands was added to the Senate's version of the reconciliation bill by Utah Republican Mike Lee, who is chairman of the Senate Committee on Energy