Stauber Leads Subcommittee Hearing on Series of Pro-Mining Bills, Including His Legislation to Codify Trump’s Mining Executive Orders

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Pete Stauber (MN-08) chaired a House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources Hearing on six mining-related bills, including his recently introduced legislation to codify certain provisions of President Trump’s newly enacted mining Executive Orders (EOs) that will help put the United States on a path toward mineral dominance. 

Of his legislation, Stauber stated, “While the United States is blessed with many mineral deposits, including a major copper-nickel deposit located right in my district, our burdensome permitting process and the policies implemented by previous anti-mining administrations have kept these critical minerals in the ground and left us increasingly dependent on foreign adversaries like Communist China. Fortunately, President Trump is back in the White House, and he has given us the chance to reverse course by signing Executive Orders to increase American critical mineral production. I am proud to introduce legislation that codifies key provisions of these EOs into law, bringing much needed certainty and consistency to America’s mining policies as we work to achieve mineral dominance.”

Specifically, Congressman Stauber’s legislation would do the following: 

• Identify Priority Projects: Instructs the Secretary of the Interior, in consultation with the Secretary of Agriculture, to submit to Congress a list of each mining project on federal lands for which an approval application has been submitted to the Department of the Interior (DOI). Within 10 days of submission, directs the Secretary to identify each priority project that can immediately be approved and take all necessary steps to expedite these projects.
• Examine Mining Potential on Federal Land: Requires the Secretary of the Interior, in consultation with the Secretary of Agriculture, to submit to Congress a list of active, inactive, and proposed mining projects on Federal land that have the potential to increase production of hardrock minerals or their byproducts, expand existing operations to include hardrock mineral byproducts, or produce hardrock minerals from mine tailings. Orders the Secretary of the Interior to submit to Congress a list of all Federal lands managed by DOI or the Secretary of Agriculture which may be suitable for hardrock exploration, development, or production.
• Conduct Regulatory Review: Within 90 days of enactment, directs the Secretary of the Interior, in consultation with the Secretary of Agriculture and industry stakeholders, to suspend, revise or rescind agency actions that hinder the development of domestic mining projects. Within 180 days of enactment, requires the Secretary of the Interior, in consultation with the Secretary of Agriculture, to submit to Congress a report that includes recommendations for changes to current law necessary to streamline domestic mining and a nationwide review of state and local laws or regulations that impede mineral exploration and development.
• Analyze Economic Impacts of Mineral Net Import Reliance: Directs the Secretary of the Interior to report on dollar value and overall economic impact of each mineral commodity for which the U.S. is import-reliant in the U.S. Geological Survey’s annual Mineral Commodities Summaries.
• Implement Detailed Mapping: Directs the Secretary of the Interior to prioritize efforts to accelerate the ongoing, detailed geologic mapping of the United States and requires the Secretary to submit to Congress a report regarding g the progress and estimated completion of DOI’s mapping initiative within on year of enactment. 

To watch the full hearing, click HERE