Don Young: “I urge a ``no'' vote on this motion to recommit. Mr. Speaker, the conference report language on mining claims solves a…”

“I urge a ``no'' vote on this motion to recommit. Mr. Speaker, the conference report language on mining claims solves a problem, rather than simply deferring action. When enacted, miners seeking title to their claims will pay fair market value, not $5 an acre, which never occurred to begin with. Some mining claimants have complied with present law and now qualify under present law. This is America. They have filled all the obligations required under law. If a new law is retroactively applied without grandfathering these claims, then the Federal Government will be exposed to billions of dollars in takings liabilities. You say fine. That is the taxpayers' dollars you are talking about. That is what you are talking about here, is controlled by the Government. These people followed the law, and we passed that law. And now you are going to make it retroactive. That is taking and the Government is susceptible to a lawsuit. Maybe you ought to be reliable yourselves. Maybe you ought to pay the bill instead of the taxpayer. If we are talking about future laws, that is different, but this applies to the present law that in fact is in effect today and those people followed that law. A ``no'' vote is the right vote for this motion to recommit. If in fact a ``yes'' vote is the overwhelming majority or the minority, then we have taken and implemented a taking of property from a private individual, a citizen of the United States.”