House Natural Resources Committee Republicans on Wednesday threatened to subpoena the Interior Department as part of an ongoing investigation of the Biden administration’s decision to protect thousands of acres and scrap mining leases in mineral-rich Minnesota.
Chair Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.) and his colleagues, GOP Reps. Pete Stauber of Minnesota and Paul Gosar of Arizona, said Interior was blocking their probe of leases tied to the proposed Twin Metals mine in the state’s Iron Range.
“To combat continued obstruction by [Interior] and [the Bureau of Land Management], the committee will use every tool at its disposal — including the compulsory process — to administer effective oversight and fulfill the committee’s responsibility to the American people,” the lawmakers told Interior Secretary Deb Haaland and BLM Director Tracy Stone-Manning in a letter.
Interior and BLM declined to comment when asked about the letter. Stauber chairs the Energy and Mineral Resources Subcommittee. Gosar chairs the Oversight and Investigations panel.
