From the Associated Press:
_The House Wednesday defeated a bill to set aside more than 2 million acres in nine states as protected wilderness.
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_Majority Democrats agreed to amend the bill to clarify that it wouldn’t impose new restrictions on hunting, fishing or trapping on federal land . . . .
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_House debate on the bill turned contentious, as Republicans complained that the measure . . . would cost up to $10 billion and block oil and gas development. . . .
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_They also said it should not have been brought up under special rules that blocked most amendments and required two-thirds support for passage. . . .
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Democrats disputed that and said the bill was among the most important conservation measures debated in the House in many years.
What do you think? Should the bill have passed?