Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from Minnesota (Ms. McCollum). Ms. McCOLLUM. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in opposition to H.R. 3115, the Superior National Forest Land Exchange Act of 2017. This bill mandates an exchange of more than 6,600 acres in the Superior National Forest for the construction of a massive open pit sulfide-ore copper and nickel mine. This project is controversial with the majority of Minnesotans who oppose the toxic sulfide-ore mining because it is a threat to our water quality, public lands, and outdoor recreation in our State. This legislation also raises serious due process concerns. There are four pending lawsuits challenging the land exchange based on existing environmental laws and concerns about the appropriate appraisal values. Federal courts are still considering these suits, but this legislation undermines the proper judicial review to expedite the construction of the PolyMet mine. Finally, this bill ignores the treaty rights of the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, a federally recognized Tribal nation. The Fond du Lac Reservation is downstream from the proposed mine site, and the Tribal chairman has told Congress this mine will, and I quote the Tribal chairman, ``pose a direct threat to the water and the fish, the game, and the wild rice on which the Tribe depends.'' The National Congress of American Indians also strongly opposes this legislation. H.R.…”