Mr. Chair, I rise in opposition to H.R. 5585 because it is redundant, it is pointless, and it does nothing to move us in the direction to deal with the real issues and the real needs that we have on the U.S.-Mexico border. To me, it is…

to merely open the floodgates to the use of our public lands without any protections, due process, community involvement... is going back to a time that got us into this situation.

We write to express serious concerns about the Mining Clarity Regulatory Act, which represents an unprecedented, de facto giveaway of America's cherished public lands to mining corporations.

Effective democratic governance depends upon informed public participation, and several international conventions and policy guidelines call for enhanced public participation in environmental management.

Mining is considered the highest and best use of our public lands.

The bill gives anyone the ability to stake a mining claim, whether there are valuable minerals on the land or not.

Future exploration or mining activities at the site not only threatens the health and welfare of tribal members.

We urge Congress to reject legislative proposals that make this colonial-era law worse.

The 1872 Mining Law is an outdated law that has failed to protect communities like mine.

We cannot have meaningful tribal consultations as long as the mining industry has the automatic right to mine wherever they stake a claim.

This bill is not just a give-away to the mining industry. It is a wholesale giveaway of our public lands.