Stauber Condemns McCollum’s Dangerous Attack on Mining Communities
HERMANTOWN, MN – Today, Congressman Pete Stauber (MN-08) made the following statement after he discovered the Fiscal Year 2021 Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Spending Bill, which came from Congresswoman Betty McCollum's (MN-04) Subcommittee, contains a policy rider which seeks to ban not only new mines, but future operations in existing iron ore mines within the Rainy River Watershed and the Superior National Forest.
"Congresswoman McCollum's attack on iron mining is an all-time low, even for her. Communities across my district continue to suffer as a result of COVID-19, and many iron mining operations across the region have been forced to idle. Just last week, Democrats quietly removed my bipartisan provision from the infrastructure bill that would have halted minerals mined by child labor from being used in this country. And then this week, McCollum's provision, was folded quietly into this bill. It is clear there is a pattern here. It seems many Democrats like McCollum would prefer to see child labor in foreign countries mine the resources that our nation needs, rather than responsibly extracting these minerals with American workers and American jobs.
"As we work to become a more self-reliant nation, we will need our country's vast resources and miners more than ever. We have the highest environmental and labor standards in the world, so I find it offensive that Congresswoman McCollum would attempt to sneak language in an appropriations bill that would slow iron mining and keep Minnesotans out of work. In northeast Minnesota, iron mining is a proud tradition, and I will not stand by as anti-mining Democrats in Washington, D.C. continue this dangerous pattern with McCollum leading the charge. I will continue to fight for our way of life every step of the way."
The mines that would be impacted by this dangerous language would be:
- North America's largest iron ore mine, Minntac
- Minorca
- North Shore Mine
Section 435 of FY 2021 Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Spending Bill reads: "None of the funds appropriated or otherwise made available by this Act may be used to review or approve a mine plan proposed within the Rainy River Watershed of the Superior National Forest."
Several existing iron ore operations are located in the Rainy River Watershed in the Superior National Forest, along with proposed precious metal projects and a granite quarry.
The language can be viewed, HERE.
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