On the recordOctober 26, 2011
There is a cost to the taxpayer, Mr. Chairman. I would consider the fact that this very valuable mineral is being extracted without any royalties and without any payment a cost to the American taxpayer. The issue about NEPA is not semantics. NEPA and other environmental processes should occur before the land trade, not after. After the land trade, it will be very difficult for compliance to happen. As a consequence, this land will be in the hands of a foreign-owned company, and it will be private property. With that, I yield such time as he may consume to the ranking member of the Natural Resources Committee, the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Markey).
