This legislation ends years of this issue being used as a political football. For over a decade, Democrat administrations repeatedly imposed mining bans on this land, only for Republican administrations to reverse the action, leaving proposed projects in perpetual limbo.

My bill provides a durable solution. It ensures that no future Democrat administration can unilaterally lock up this vital land from responsible mineral development. It restores Minnesota’s authority to review responsible mining projects through the rigorous state and federal environmental permitting process. 

Minnesota’s union miners are now one step closer to developing our vast domestic deposits of copper, nickel, cobalt, and platinum group metals that we urgently need here at home to reduce America’s dangerous reliance on the Chinese Communist Party.

We are one step closer to bringing good-paying union jobs and economic prosperity back to Minnesota’s mighty Iron Range for generations.

Mining is our past, our present, and our future – and the future looks bright!

Mining Myth vs. Fact

There has been considerable misinformation from anti-mining groups and the media about this bill, so I want to set the record straight:

1. MYTH: This bill will automatically allow mining to move forward.

Fact: This bill does NOT greenlight any specific mine or project. It simply restores Minnesota’s authority to evaluate proposals through our established, rigorous state and federal permitting process.

2. MYTH: This bill will allow mining inside the Boundary Waters Canoe Area.

Fact: There will be NO mining in the Boundary Waters and its surrounding buffer zone. Mining is already prohibited there, and Minnesota law forbids any activity that would degrade the BWCA’s water quality.

3. MYTH: The type of mining that is being proposed can not be done safely.

Fact: Modern underground copper-nickel projects can meet Minnesota’s toughest-in-the-nation water standards, and the proposed mining projects can do that as they have been carefully planning for years on how to sustainably mine metals in the region. There are already similar mines in North America that have been operating without any damage to the environment. For example, Michigan’s Eagle Mine, a copper-nickel operation, has run without issue since 2014. There is also the Rainy River Mine in Stratton, Ontario, which has been operating safely in the Rainy River Watershed since 2017, which is the same watershed where projects in Minnesota are proposed.

4. MYTH: This bill only benefits a Chilean mining company that plans to send its minerals to China.

Fact: This bill is not about one specific project or company. It’s about restoring a process that would allow for fair consideration of projects interested in having Minnesotan miners responsibly producing copper, nickel, cobalt, and platinum groups right here in America by going through state and federal environmental reviews to determine whether they can meet our strict standards. The most effective way to keep minerals out of China’s control is to produce and process them here in the United States. Some groups opposed to one of the proposed projects, Twin Metals, are pointing fingers at their Chilean ownership, even though the people who work at Twin Metals are Minnesotans who live in the area and care deeply about protecting the environment while advancing opportunities for their communities. Additionally, current proposed projects in the Superior National Forest are expected to generate $3 billion in funding for the Permanent School Fund (PSF) and nearly $750 million in state and federal taxes and royalties.

Tax Day Means Bigger Tax Refunds

In addition to mining, I have more great news to share. April 15th was Tax Day, and thanks to the Working Families Tax Cuts Act, which Congress passed with my support, and President Trump signed into law last year, Americans are seeing higher refunds this year.  

In fact, refunds are up 11 percent with the average taxpayer in our state saving $3,548 this tax season.

That’s more money that you can use to put towards daily expenses, invest in your children’s future, or save for a rainy day.

This legislation puts real money back in your pockets in the following ways:

• It implemented no tax on tips and no tax on overtime.
• It expanded the standard deduction, meaning more families pay less taxes on their income.
• It enhanced the Child Tax Credit up to $2,200 per child, helping to offset the cost of raising children.
• It created a new $6,000 deduction for seniors.

And remember, hardworking Americans deserve to know their tax dollars are protected and put to work for them. That’s why the Working Families Tax Cuts Act included some of the toughest safeguards ever, cracking down on fraud and cutting waste.

With Minnesota experiencing the largest fraud scandal in American history, I am especially proud of the work we did in Congress to better protect your taxpayer dollars.

The Political Violence Must End

I’m very grateful that President Trump, Vice President Vance, government officials, and all the guests at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner are safe following an assassination attempt by a cowardly gunman. I thank the heroic Secret Service and our law enforcement officers for their swift and decisive response, which saved lives.

The rise in political violence across our country, along with increasing threats against elected officials, is deeply concerning and must be unequivocally condemned. I am praying that our country can reject political violence, rise above our differences, and remain united as Americans.

I also want to highlight that Secret Service personnel have been going without pay for months due to the ongoing shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). In light of this weekend’s events, it is especially critical that Senate Democrats set aside partisan politics and work with us to fully fund DHS. Our national security depends on it.

Week in Review

Once again, I’d like to thank all the people who met with me or a member of my team. Here are a few highlights from the past week:

I had a great meeting with Tim Murray of Bravo Zulu House in my Hermantown office to discuss plans for a new facility that will become the first all-women’s sober house for military veterans.  

Minnesota Pork stopped by my office to discuss the importance of the Farm Bill ahead of the House vote next week. I’ll never stop working to support our hog farmers and stand up for rural Minnesota.

I was glad to host Growth Energy, the nation’s largest biofuels trade association, in my D.C. office to discuss ways to lower prices at the pump.

As an honorary member of the Alaska delegation, it was a privilege to join my colleagues from that state for an Alaska Day celebration on Capitol Hill.

I met with the Minnesota Hospital Association to discuss how the federal government can help small rural hospitals thrive. Minnesota’s 8^th Congressional District is largely rural, so this issue is always at the forefront of my mind.

It was an honor to join my friend Dan “The Ox” Oschner as he broadcast his show, KNSI’s Hot Talk with the Ox live on Capitol Hill. We discussed everything from my mining resolution to combatting Minnesota’s fraud crisis.

Thank you to the International Union of Elevator Constructors for taking the time to discuss the importance of apprenticeship programs and creating more pathways for young people to pursue high-paying careers in the trades.

Thank you to Finnish Ambassador Leena-Kaisa Mikkola for stopping by my D.C. office to discuss the work being done by the Finnish Caucus. As the representative of many Finnish Americans, I particularly enjoyed learning more about opportunities for collaboration.

Thank you to the 10,000 Minnesotans who took the time to join my most recent telephone town hall. I appreciated the thoughtful questions and dialogue on a wide range of issues.

Back in Minnesota, my staff had the privilege of meeting with AmeriCorps, ConservationCorps, and Bemidji Fire Department to discuss cleanup efforts following a severe storm that hit the area last summer. I appreciate the work they are doing to assist this community.

Another member of my team attended the Minnesota Highway Coalition annual meeting, where they discussed the importance of expanding Highway 23 to four lanes to ensure safety, ease the movement of freight, and strengthen the economies of the communities along the route.