What’s Happening
The VIP Act, a bipartisan bill to provide free, lifetime access to all national parks and federal recreational lands for service members, veterans, and Gold Star families, passed the House unanimously today.
Why It Matters
Currently, active duty service members and veterans can receive a free one-year pass to all parks. The VIP Act will codify these as lifetime passes. The bill is overwhelmingly bipartisan, with more than 150 cosponsors in the House.
My Take
Writer Wallace Stegner once called national parks “the best idea we ever had. Absolutely American, absolutely democratic, they reflect us at our best rather than our worst.” The beauty, wonder, and solitude of our natural treasures are gifts to be enjoyed by all Americans. No group of Americans deserves to enjoy the peace of fishing on the Yellowstone River or the wonder of seeing the Grand Canyon more than those who have sacrificed for our freedoms. The overwhelmingly bipartisan support for this small, but important, bill is exciting.
Quote Me On It
“America’s heroes deserve to enjoy America’s best idea. Providing free, lifetime access to National Parks, National Forests, and Wildlife Refuges to service members and their families is the least we can do to thank them.” – VP of Government Affairs Quill Robinson