Conservation, parks funding bill passes Senate

Praise abounded for the Senate passing Wednesday what some are calling the greatest conservation bill in decades.

In a 73-25 vote, the Senate passed the Great American Outdoors Act which gives permanent funding to the Land and Water Conservation Fund and provides $12 billion to work on deferred maintenance in U.S. national parks.

Sens. Jon Tester, D-Mont., and Steve Daines, R-Mont., both of whom are original co-sponsors of the bill, each held press conferences on its passage Wednesday.

"This has been a great day in the U.S. Senate," Daines said. "We made history."

He said the next step is to g...