Not all Western senators support the low fees, of course.

From a Western senator; long white beard stained with tobacco juice.

Western senators of both parties worried about restrictions on water and packing houses.

Western senators, whose states have few unionized mines, fought back.

Then, however, a powerful cadre of Western senators had second thoughts about what they had done.

A number of Western senators back the idea of allowing the timber industry to remove more trees.

Sponsored by the mining industry and written by Western senators, it does little to improve on the 1872 law.

Western senators say the proposed grazing standards, with all the new regulations and the higher fees, would put many smaller ranchers out of business.

Western senators have failed to bring the 1872 Mining Law up to current land-use standards.

But Western senators of both parties have objected.