House Republicans hoping to expand and accelerate mining in the U.S. will gather input on possible policy changes this week and address concerns about the fate of environmentally sensitive and Indigenous lands.
Experts from academia, think tanks and industry who have suggested changes to the nation’s 153-year-old mining law will appear before the Natural Resources Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources on Thursday.
The hearing kicks off what’s likely to yet again be a brewing policy debate in Congress this year: balancing the need for critical minerals amid skyrocketing demand and national security threats with environmental concerns and Indigenous rights.
Republican Rep. Pete Stauber of Minnesota, who chairs the subcommittee, is pushing to open the U.S. to more mining, including land in his state near the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.
