Introduced by Republican Reps. Mark Amodei of Nevada and Celeste Maloy of Utah, the bill would potentially open up hundreds of thousands of acres of federal land for sale — a move aimed at boosting fossil fuel production and creating opportunities for affordable housing, NPR reported.

After initially excluding it from a budget bill, House Republicans approved a controversial late hour amendment Tuesday that authorizes the sale of federal land in two western states for affordable housing and other uses.