Stauber Statement on Biden’s Northern Minnesota Mining Ban
Congressman Pete Stauber (MN-08) released the following statement on the Biden Administration’s announcement of a 20-year moratorium on mining in northern Minnesota.
“Today is an attack on our way of life. Joe Biden banned mining in 225,000 acres of Minnesota's Iron Range, and locked up development of taconite, copper, nickel, cobalt, platinum-group elements, and more,” said Congressman Stauber. “Unfortunately, this harm to our country and our future has become the norm, as this President’s goal is to put America last. Not even one month ago, Joe Biden signed an agreement to fund mining projects in Chinese-owned mines in the Congo, where over 40,000 children work as slaves in forced labor and inhumane conditions with no environmental protections. Meanwhile today’s mining ban nullifies a Project Labor Agreement with the local building and construction trade unions. America needs to develop our vast mineral wealth, right here at home, with high-wage, union protected jobs instead of continuing to send American taxpayer dollars to countries like the Congo that use child slave labor. The only winner here is China, as Joe Biden continues to hand our foreign adversaries every advantage possible. I can assure you that this Administration, from the President to the Forest Service, to the Interior Department, will answer for the pain they elected to cause my constituents today.”
“If Democrats were serious about developing renewable energy sources and breaking China's stranglehold on the global market, they would be flinging open the doors to responsible mineral development here in the U.S.,” said House Committee on Natural Resources Chairman Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.). “We cannot have a future of renewable energy without minerals, period - not to mention their necessity to our defense systems, satellites, cellphones and virtually every other advanced technology. While Democrats play political ping pong with American industries, China and Russia are laughing straight to the bank. The administration's decision to withdraw this mineral-rich area - blatantly targeting one of our country’s most promising mines - is short-sighted, foolish and completely unscientific. Unfortunately, President Biden doesn't seem to mind if Minnesota mining communities and the entire American economy pay the price.”
Background: Congressman Stauber submitted this letter in opposition to Biden’s mining ban in August of 2022.
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