Stauber Issues Statement Blasting Biden Administration for Political Decision on Twin Metals Permit

HERMANTOWN, MN – Congressman Pete Stauber released the following statement regarding today's announcement that President Biden's Department of the Interior (DOI) has revoked existing long-held federal leases for Twin Metals Minnesota to mine in the Superior National Forest.

"The Biden Administration's announcement today canceling these long-standing mineral leases will have devastating impacts on northern Minnesota and our nation. Let me be clear: President Biden is choosing to ban mining. He's choosing foreign sourced minerals, including mines that use child slave labor, over our own domestic, union workforce that follows the best labor and environmental standards in the world. The Biden Administration doesn't have a plan for mineral independence. On one hand, they want massive taxpayer investments in electric vehicles, and on the other, they refuse to allow domestic mineral production as demand continues to skyrocket. Instead, this Administration has decided to leave American, blue-collar workers behind and bow to pressure from radicals who prefer to rely on foreign adversarial nations for these minerals.

"I saw this coming from day one, which is why I was vocal in my opposition to Secretary Haaland's nomination as Interior Secretary, as well as the Director of Bureau of Land Management, Tracy Stone-Manning. Joe Biden chose a cabinet full of the most extreme anti-mining activists. I choose to fight for our northern Minnesota miners."

Background:

Twin Metals Minnesota plans to build a 21st-century underground mine with union labor to extract the copper, nickel, cobalt, platinum-group elements, and more we need for our daily life. Meanwhile, the United States remains import-reliant for all these minerals and more.

With only days remaining, with Joe Biden then as Vice President, the Obama Administration wrongfully declined to renew the longstanding mineral leases held by Twin Metals in the Superior National Forest.

President Trump then did the right thing and reinstated the federal leases in Spring of 2019.

Nearly one year to the day after his campaign announced support for domestic minerals, Joe Biden started the process to ban mining in part of the Superior National Forest.