The House Committee on Natural Resources majority held a markup on 10 bills, including H.R. 2794, which would create significant barriers to mineral development in the Duluth Complex.
“In recent years, an anti-mining sentiment has permeated in the Twin Cities and the coasts,” Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources Ranking Member Pete Stauber (R-Minn.) said. “This anti-jobs, anti-mining movement is hellbent on eliminating our mining jobs and robbing Minnesotans from developing our mineral wealth needed for our country. Let’s be clear: a vote for this bill will eliminate generations of union jobs and economic development on Minnesota’s Iron Range. I voted against this bill in order to support good-paying union jobs, domestic critical mineral supply chain security and to restore American mineral dominance.”
“This is just a scare tactic,” House Committee on Natural Resources Ranking Member Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.) said. “I’ve been to the Boundary Waters area of the Superior National Forest with Representative Stauber, I’ve seen these areas and these proposed mining plans, and they are not threatening the Boundary Waters Canoe Area. I’ll tell you what is being threatened: American sovereignty, American jobs and the American economy. I would ask the majority, if not here, then where? If we’re not getting these minerals and elements here, we’ll be getting them from China.”
Background
The Duluth Complex in Northern Minnesota contains nearly eight billion tons of copper, nickel, cobalt and platinum group metals. These minerals will soon see huge upswings in demand due to their use in batteries, electric vehicles and other rapidly expanding sectors. If developed, the Duluth Complex could constitute 95% of U.S. nickel reserves, 88% of U.S. cobalt reserves and 75% percent of U.S. platinum-group reserves.
Northern Minnesota is also home to the historic Iron Range, where taconite mining has occurred for more than 130 years. Developing this region is in the national interest due to the many important uses of the resources. Mining would also provide immense economic benefits to the surrounding area.
The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the positions of American Liberty News.
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Donny Ferguson is a professional fundraiser and organizational manager. Born and raised in Texas, he has lived in Washington, D.C. for 16 years. Ferguson also served as Senior Communications and Policy Adviser in the United States House of Representatives, operating one of Capitol Hill's most effective media operations.
The dumbocrats are too Fing STOOPID to understand that NOT mining these resources will CONSIDERABLY constrain their ‘green’ efforts to electrify the automobile and energy industries!!!
Which is just as well since there is absolutely No Imminent Global Warming Crisis due to CO2-Emissions, No Global Warming Reported by NASA since 1998 (over 25 years) and the Green-Touted Renewable Energy Technologies (Solar & Wind) are both very bad for the Environment, Inefficient, Intermittent requiring 24/7 Fossil Fuel or Nuclear Power Backup in order to function (poorly) and at a much higher overall cost since Renewables now are only marginally practical when they have 75% to 85% Government (i.e., Taxpayer) Subsidies! Renewables have a very short and non-recyclable lifespan of about only 20 years whereas Fossil Fuels & Nuclear over 3-5 times!
It is extremely unwise to make American, its Economy and its Security/Safety dependent on other countries, especially Communist China!
Biden and the Democrats are using their unscientific and terrible Green Energy Policies & their inane, unaffordable and completely unnecessary “Green New [RAW] Deal” that is the primary cause of our rapid inflation and demise of our Economy as well as our Republic & Country!
No ores= No EVs No Green energy
Explain Dems OK
I think that the percentages of national supply, speak for themselves. I have spent many summers in the BWCA, and would not tolerate any compromise. There is no way the twin metals project would still be considered if there was risk to that wilderness. We need to mine there.
It makes sense doesn’t it? Demand that America go “green” then make it difficult to extract the materials necessary for that plan to be obtained without extreme cost and hardship on the citizens. I mean, if we have to get it all from other countries, what is America going to trade for those goods? We produce very little except for food, now. With the pressure these traitors are putting on farmers, we may not have that option either. So for these idiots to do things like this article brings out makes me wonder why we aren’t all taking are guns to Washington and putting them out on the street where they belong. The start of any journey is the first step and we should be making sure they are taking their first steps to some other country or to jail. These traitors, suck.
That is why we need the Convention of States. Article V of the Constitution.
Yep… it’s time
The greatest enemy this country faces today is Pelosi and her left wing democrats. If we don’t do something to purge them from our government they will destroy this nation. Every action they take builds on them trying to destroy our constitutional republic and replace it with their brand of socialism, with them in control of course.
Half of the communist left want to just destroy America to collect their Chinese bounty, the other half just wants to destroy all industries that support the conservatives. The elite want to destroy humans
Sounds about right. You have to realize that EVERY great power lasted as a power for about 200 years, and then it got to the point they got somebody else to do their work for them and with 50 years the once-great country fell to the next upcoming power. Guess what folks -the US is now in full decline thanks MAINLY TO THE LIBTARDS!
Lying Corrupt Quid Pro KING Joe is owned and beholden to Communist China. Corrupt Quid pro made a lot of money under the table from Communist China and Hunter was the bag man. What happens when Communist China decides not to sell the U.S. minerals? Corrupt politicians and bureaucrats like to talk out of both sides of their mouth. Communist China wants to be the supply chain for the rest of the globe. America depending on Communist China is a national security issue. If Communist China seizes Taiwan, Communist China will control 60% of the manufacture of the world’s computer chips. Every country on the globe will have to walk a straight line with Communist China or else.