119-S-1376 DC Insider Procedural Viability Check

S.1376 Snapshot and Bottom Line

- Bill: S.1376 — Benton MacKaye National Scenic Trail Feasibility Study Act of 2025. Sponsor: Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC); Senate cosponsors include Sens. Warnock (D-GA), Budd (R-NC), and Ossoff (D-GA). House companion: H.R. 2768 (Fleischmann; bipartisan originals). [4]Congress.gov — Text — S.1376 (119th): Benton MacKaye National Scenic Trail Feas…[2]Congress.gov — All Information — S.1376 (119th)[3]Congress.gov — Text — H.R. 2768 (119th): House companion bill text

- Status: Ordered reported favorably by Senate Agriculture on 10/21/2025; awaiting floor action. House bill referred to Natural Resources. [1]Congress.gov — All Actions — S.1376 (119th)[5]Congress.gov — H.R. 2768 overview (119th)

- Power context: Republicans control both chambers; Sen. John Thune is Majority Leader; Rep. Mike Johnson is Speaker; Sen. John Boozman chairs Senate Agriculture; Rep. Bruce Westerman chairs House Natural Resources. [6]Office of Sen. John Thune — Thune delivers first remarks as Senate Majority Lea…[7]Associated Press — 119th Congress opens: Mike Johnson reelected Speaker[8]Senate Agriculture Committee — Boozman to serve as Chairman, Senate Agriculture…[9]House Natural Resources Committee — Chairman Bruce Westerman — House Natural Re…

- Procedural path I’d pursue: Senate hotline for unanimous-consent passage; then House suspension of the rules; or fold into a small lands/forestry package riding a must-pass vehicle if floor time tightens. [10]Congress.gov — How Our Laws Are Made — Senate reliance on unanimous consent[11]Congressional Research Service — CRS: Suspension of the Rules in the House (98-…[12]National Parks Conservation Association — NPCA: Public Lands Package in the FY2…

Procedural Viability Check (Rubric)

Composite viability score: 4/5.

Power, Gatekeepers, and Leverage

• Floor control: Thune’s office decides when to clear UC items; the bill is low-friction and regional (GA–NC–TN), a good candidate for hotline clearance once the calendar opens up. [6]Office of Sen. John Thune — Thune delivers first remarks as Senate Majority Lea…
• Senate Agriculture: Boozman’s chairmanship and the committee’s forestry jurisdiction (USDA Forest Service) align with the bill’s scope—no internal turf fight expected on the Senate side. [8]Senate Agriculture Committee — Boozman to serve as Chairman, Senate Agriculture…[18]Wikipedia — Senate Agriculture Committee (jurisdiction; oversight incl. USFS)
• House pathway: Westerman can move the companion under suspension without a formal committee report if leadership wants speed. [9]House Natural Resources Committee — Chairman Bruce Westerman — House Natural Re…[11]Congressional Research Service — CRS: Suspension of the Rules in the House (98-…
• Hold risk: A single senator can block UC; if that surfaces (e.g., from public-lands skeptics), fallback is to tack the measure onto a broader lands package or seek time agreement. [19]Web search · turn 8 #12[10]Congress.gov — How Our Laws Are Made — Senate reliance on unanimous consent

Timing Window and Vehicles

- Near-term (next 2–4 weeks): Try to clear S.1376 by UC during evening wrap-up around nomination time; if objected to, begin assembling a small trail/forestry stack for a one-sentence package. [17]govinfo (GPO) — Senate Calendar of Business — Oct. 27, 2025 (cover/special orde…

- Alternative: Seek inclusion in any bipartisan year-end lands package or as a minor rider to a must-pass (NDAA/omnibus), a pattern used in 2014 when ~70 public-lands items rode with defense. [12]National Parks Conservation Association — NPCA: Public Lands Package in the FY2…

Risks and Mitigations

Bottom-Line Score and Rationale

Composite viability: 4/5. Rationale: bipartisan, low-cost study; Senate committee-cleared; House companion in hand; multiple viable procedural paths (UC/suspension/rider). The only real friction is calendar crowd-out amid funding fights. [1]Congress.gov — All Actions — S.1376 (119th)[3]Congress.gov — Text — H.R. 2768 (119th): House companion bill text[10]Congress.gov — How Our Laws Are Made — Senate reliance on unanimous consent[11]Congressional Research Service — CRS: Suspension of the Rules in the House (98-…[16]U.S. Senate Periodical Press Gallery — Senate Periodical Press Gallery: Oct. 22…

Key Metrics

Sources: Congress.gov bill/all-actions pages for S.1376 and H.R. 2768. [1]Congress.gov — All Actions — S.1376 (119th)[5]Congress.gov — H.R. 2768 overview (119th)

Operational Next Steps