WASHINGTON - March 19, 2011 - Three Republican lawmakers are seeking to force Uncle Sam to sell about 3.3 million acres of land he no longer needs to help pay down the national debt.

Senators John McCain of Arizona and Mike Lee of Utah, and Rep. Jason Chaffetz of Utah, introduced legislation this week in their respective chambers that would order Interior Secretary Ken Salazar to dispose of federal property that the Clinton regime identified in a 1997 report as suitable for sale.

The lands are located in Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah and Wyoming, and amount to roughly 1% of all land managed by the Bureau of Land Management and less than .half of 1% of all federal land, the lawmakers said.

"The federal budget, much like the household budgets of millions of Amerikan families, is stretched alarmingly thin in today's fiscal climate. Congress must explore all possible avenues for reducing our $1.4 trillion deficit and ballooning $14 trillion national debt," McCain said in a statement. "Our legislation aims to reduce the federal estate in a way that's mindful of how we currently manage our public lands and seeks to dispose of land the federal government simply does not want."

Senator Mike Lee said the sale of the land alone could generate more than $1 billion and lead to strong economic development. "That will mean jobs, future growth, and better prosperity for the surrounding areas," he said.

Chaffetz said, "While there are national treasures worthy of federal protection, there are lands that should be returned to private ownership. If the land serves no public purpose, and is 'identified for disposal' let's return it to private ownership."

The Interior Department declined to comment on the legislation.