Floor SpeechBipartisan2026-01-30

PROVIDING FOR CONGRESSIONAL DISAPPROVAL OF THE RULE SUBMITTED BY THE BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT RELATING TO PUBLIC LAND ORDER NO. 7917 FOR WITHDRAWAL OF FEDERAL LANDS; COOK, LAKE, AND SAINT LOUIS...

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Context

On 2026-01-30, Representative Pete Stauber (R-MN-8) delivered a floor speech titled "PROVIDING FOR CONGRESSIONAL DISAPPROVAL OF THE RULE SUBMITTED BY THE BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT RELATING TO PUBLIC LAND O" in the House. The speech addressed climate policy and also covered the environment, foreign policy. It referenced legislation: HJRES140.

Full Text

PROVIDING FOR CONGRESSIONAL DISAPPROVAL OF THE RULE SUBMITTED BY THE BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT RELATING TO PUBLIC LAND ORDER NO. 7917 FOR WITHDRAWAL OF FEDERAL LANDS; COOK, LAKE, AND SAINT LOUIS...

Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 22 (Friday, January 30, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 22 (Friday, January 30, 2026)] [Extensions of Remarks] [Page E81] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] PROVIDING FOR CONGRESSIONAL DISAPPROVAL OF THE RULE SUBMITTED BY THE BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT RELATING TO PUBLIC LAND ORDER NO. 7917 FOR WITHDRAWAL OF FEDERAL LANDS; COOK, LAKE, AND SAINT LOUIS COUNTIES, MN ______ speech of HON. PETE STAUBER of minnesota in the house of representatives Wednesday, January 21, 2026 Mr. STAUBER. Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record the following letters and statements from North America's Building Trades Unions, Laborers' International Union of North America, and the International Union of Operating Engineers, in support of H.J. Res. 140. NABTU Statement of Support for H.J. Res. 140 Washington, D.C.--January 16, 2026--Today, North America's Building Trades Unions (NABTU) President Sean McGarvey issued the following statement: ``Our nation is at a crucial inflection point. Will we continue to import critical minerals from less-than-reputable nations, or will we do what we must to address our industrial shortcomings? ``Our members have waited decades for certain American mining projects to come to fruition. While these projects should not be blindly authorized, we hope that Congress recognizes that the longer these projects languish in bureaucratic red tape, the longer our members go without receiving a paycheck for their work in making our nation safer and more independent. ``H.J. Res. 140 recognizes our need to support domestic industries with a responsibly extracted supply of American minerals. In order to do so, we must address unnecessary bans that inhibit industrial growth. ``We thank Rep. Stauber for his continued leadership and commitment to alleviating the hurdles that keep our members from realizing work.'' ____ LiUNA! Statement of General President Brent Booker on Representative Stauber's Minnesota Mining Legislation [For Immediate Release--January 20, 2026] Washington, D.C.--LIUNA General President Brent Booker made this statement regarding Representative Stauber's Minnesota Mining Legislation: ``The Laborers' International Union of North America (LIUNA) urges Members of Congress to support H.J. Res. 140, a Congressional Review Act resolution that would restore our ability to responsibly develop critical minerals that are needed by our nation to combat climate change and protect our national security. For more than 130 years, mining in Minnesota has created family-supporting careers for generations of laborers. Northern Minnesota is home to the world's largest known undeveloped copper-nickel deposit. The importance of mining these minerals in Minnesota echoes the determination that we build it all, here in America. Our inability to mine only weakens our domestic production and outsources the jobs it creates. We thank Representative Stauber (R-MN) for introducing this legislation and urge bipartisan support.'' ____ International Union of Operating Engineers, January 21, 2026. Re H.J. Res. 140--CRA to Overturn Mining Ban in Northern Minnesota. Hon. Mike Johnson, Speaker, House of Representatives, Washington, DC. Hon. John Thune, Majority Leader, U.S. Senate, Washington, DC. Hon. Hakeem Jeffries, Minority Leader, House of Representatives, Washington, DC. Hon. Chuck Schumer, Minority Leader, U.S. Senate, Washington, DC. Dear Speaker Johnson and Leaders Thune, Schumer and Jeffries: The International Union of Operating Engineers urges Congress to pass H.J. Res. 140 to overturn the mining ban in northern Minnesota, which contains the world's largest known undeveloped deposits of copper, nickel, cobalt and platinum group metals, in addition to significant helium resources. The International Union of Operating Engineers (IUOE) is one of North America's leading construction unions, representing over 410,000 hardworking men and women in the United States and Canada. Most members of the IUOE work in the construction sector, operating and maintaining heavy equipment; thousands of us are employed building the nation's roads, bridges, highways, and other transportation infrastructure. The IUOE spends millions of dollars every year toward training our members. Our commitment to training is best displayed at our world-class International Training & Education Center (ITEC) located in Texas. The IUOE invested over $150 million at the 265-acre ITEC facility so our members can train with the newest advances in safety and technology. It is the largest and most comprehensive training facility for union Operating and Stationary Engineers in North America. In 2023, a federal mining ban, called a ``mineral withdrawal'' was enacted impacting 225,000 acres of federal lands in northeast Minnesota. It has prevented responsible development of these resources from moving forward, in addition to locking out any future exploration and mining in the region for 20 years. Critical minerals are vital for every aspect of our modern lives, and reliable access to them is imperative for achieving our goals of energy independence, creating jobs, bolstering defense, bringing manufacturing home, and reducing our reliance on foreign sources. Currently, critical minerals come from countries with the loosest, most egregious environmental and labor standards in the world--countries like Argentina, Chile, China, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Today nearly 40% of the world's copper is mined in Chile and the Democratic Republic of Congo, and most of the global supply is refined in China. The South American and African countries' environmental and labor records, where workplace hazards and occupational deaths occur frequently, raise significant concern. China's prominence in the sector also presents a raft of policy considerations regarding labor and human rights abuses, environmental degradation, national security threats, and more. The Duluth Complex in northern Minnesota is a world-class mineral deposit containing nearly 8 billion tons of critical minerals. If developed, this region could constitute 95 percent of America's nickel reserves, 88 percent of America's cobalt reserves, one-third of America's copper reserves, and 75 percent of U.S. platinum-group resources. Removing the withdrawal does not remove environmental protections. Minnesota already has some of the world's most stringent environmental and labor standards. Any proposed project must go through the years-long, multi-agency environmental review before any mining operations can start. We can mine these resources, and do so in a way that safeguards the environment. We must not rely on other countries who may have poor labor and environmental standards to meet our needs. Instead, we can and should lead the world in responsible mining. The path forward is to trust science, and to insist on strong governmental oversight and regulation. Mining in northeast Minnesota has provided family- sustaining careers to thousands of Operating Engineers and others for over 130 years and has preserved the region's economy. We urge Congress to pass H.J. Res. 140 CRA to overturn the mining ban in Northern Minnesota so Operating Engineers can continue mining for the foreseeable future and work toward achieving our goal of energy independence for America. Thank you for your time and consideration. Respectfully, John L. Downey, General President. ____________________

Referenced legislation: HJRES140, HJRES140

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PROVIDING FOR CONGRESSIONAL DISAPPROVAL OF THE RULE SUBMITTED BY THE BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT RELATING TO PUBLIC LAND ORDER NO. 7917 FOR WITHDRAWAL OF FEDERAL LANDS; COOK, LAKE, AND SAINT LOUIS... Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 22 (Friday, January 30, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 22 (Friday, January 30, 2026)] [Extensions of Remarks] [Page E81] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] PROVIDING FOR CONGRESSIONAL DISAPPROVAL OF THE RULE SUBMITTED BY THE BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT RELATING TO PUBLIC LAND ORDER NO. 7917 FOR WITHDRAWAL OF FEDERAL LANDS; COOK, LAKE, AND SAINT LOUIS COUNTIES, MN ______ speech of HON. PETE STAUBER of minnesota in the house of representatives Wednesday, January 21, 2026 Mr. STAUBER. Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record the following letters and statements from North America's Building Trades Unions, Laborers' International Union of North America, and the International Union of Operating Engineers, in support of H.J. Res. 140. NABTU Statement of Support for H.J. Res. 140 Washington, D.C.--January 16, 2026--Today, North America's Building Trades Unions (NABTU) President Sean McGarvey issued the following statement: ``Our nation is at a crucial inflection point. Will we continue to import critical minerals from less-than-reputable nations, or will we do what we must to address our industrial shortcomings? ``Our members have waited decades for certain American mining projects to come to fruition. While these projects should not be blindly authorized, we hope that Congress recognizes that the longer these projects languish in bureaucratic red tape, the longer our members go without receiving a paycheck for their work in making our nation safer and more independent. ``H.J. Res. 140 recognizes our need to support domestic industries with a responsibly extracted supply of American minerals. In order to do so, we must address unnecessary bans that inhibit industrial growth. ``We thank Rep. Stauber for his continued leadership and commitment to alleviating the hurdles that keep our members from realizing work.'' ____ LiUNA! Statement of General President Brent Booker on Representative Stauber's Minnesota Mining Legislation [For Immediate Release--January 20, 2026] Washington, D.C.--LIUNA General President Brent Booker made this statement regarding Representative Stauber's Minnesota Mining Legislation: ``The Laborers' International Union of North America (LIUNA) urges Members of Congress to support H.J. Res. 140, a Congressional Review Act resolution that would restore our ability to responsibly develop critical minerals that are needed by our nation to combat climate change and protect our national security. For more than 130 years, mining in Minnesota has created family-supporting careers for generations of laborers. Northern Minnesota is home to the world's largest known undeveloped copper-nickel deposit. The importance of mining these minerals in Minnesota echoes the determination that we build it all, here in America. Our inability to mine only weakens our domestic production and outsources the jobs it creates. We thank Representative Stauber (R-MN) for introducing this legislation and urge bipartisan support.'' ____ International Union of Operating Engineers, January 21, 2026. Re H.J. Res. 140--CRA to Overturn Mining Ban in Northern Minnesota. Hon. Mike Johnson, Speaker, House of Representatives, Washington, DC. Hon. John Thune, Majority Leader, U.S. Senate, Washington, DC. Hon. Hakeem Jeffries, Minority Leader, House of Representatives, Washington, DC. Hon. Chuck Schumer, Minority Leader, U.S. Senate, Washington, DC. Dear Speaker Johnson and Leaders Thune, Schumer and Jeffries: The International Union of Operating Engineers urges Congress to pass H.J. Res. 140 to overturn the mining ban in northern Minnesota, which contains the world's largest known undeveloped deposits of copper, nickel, cobalt and platinum group metals, in addition to significant helium resources. The International Union of Operating Engineers (IUOE) is one of North America's leading construction unions, representing over 410,000 hardworking men and women in the United States and Canada. Most members of the IUOE work in the construction sector, operating and maintaining heavy equipment; thousands of us are employed building the nation's roads, bridges, highways, and other transportation infrastructure. The IUOE spends millions of dollars every year toward training our members. Our commitment to training is best displayed at our world-class International Training & Education Center (ITEC) located in Texas. The IUOE invested over $150 million at the 265-acre ITEC facility so our members can train with the newest advances in safety and technology. It is the largest and most comprehensive training facility for union Operating and Stationary Engineers in North America. In 2023, a federal mining ban, called a ``mineral withdrawal'' was enacted impacting 225,000 acres of federal lands in northeast Minnesota. It has prevented responsible development of these resources from moving forward, in addition to locking out any future exploration and mining in the region for 20 years. Critical minerals are vital for every aspect of our modern lives, and reliable access to them is imperative for achieving our goals of energy independence, creating jobs, bolstering defense, bringing manufacturing home, and reducing our reliance on foreign sources. Currently, critical minerals come from countries with the loosest, most egregious environmental and labor standards in the world--countries like Argentina, Chile, China, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Today nearly 40% of the world's copper is mined in Chile and the Democratic Republic of Congo, and most of the global supply is refined in China. The South American and African countries' environmental and labor records, where workplace hazards and occupational deaths occur frequently, raise significant concern. China's prominence in the sector also presents a raft of policy considerations regarding labor and human rights abuses, environmental degradation, national security threats, and more. The Duluth Complex in northern Minnesota is a world-class mineral deposit containing nearly 8 billion tons of critical minerals. If developed, this region could constitute 95 percent of America's nickel reserves, 88 percent of America's cobalt reserves, one-third of America's copper reserves, and 75 percent of U.S. platinum-group resources. Removing the withdrawal does not remove environmental protections. Minnesota already has some of the world's most stringent environmental and labor standards. Any proposed project must go through the years-long, multi-agency environmental review before any mining operations can start. We can mine these resources, and do so in a way that safeguards the environment. We must not rely on other countries who may have poor labor and environmental standards to meet our needs. Instead, we can and should lead the world in responsible mining. The path forward is to trust science, and to insist on strong governmental oversight and regulation. Mining in northeast Minnesota has provided family- sustaining careers to thousands of Operating Engineers and others for over 130 years and has preserved the region's economy. We urge Congress to pass H.J. Res. 140 CRA to overturn the mining ban in Northern Minnesota so Operating Engineers can continue mining for the foreseeable future and work toward achieving our goal of energy independence for America. Thank you for your time and consideration. Respectfully, John L. Downey, General President. ____________________ Referenced legislation: HJRES140, HJRES140