Hardrock mining companies should be required to pay a royalty similar to what other extractive industries pay, a 12.5 percent royalty.

Real and meaningful reform of the 1872 Mining Law is needed to protect both taxpayers and the environment.

We need to not only end polluter subsidies, but also end of the Bush tax cuts that are largely responsible for our current budget crunch.

If I may, Mr. Chairman, just to say I felt that we needed this hearing so that the deficit reduction aspect of that hearing that we have already had was properly inserted into the record.

What price? How buyable are Americans? How low do we get when we start taking our key heirlooms and we start selling them to Dutch Royal Shell or British Petroleum?

the oil industry and the mining industry, as they right now get away without paying their fair share of the dues to live in our country.

The 1872 Mining Law is perhaps the grandfather of all anti-environmental giveaways.

I believe it should remain an unmolested U.S. wilderness sanctuary, public land used for outdoors recreation by world citizens.

I think that is directly pertinent because they both offered an alternative to the proposal which the majority has before the Committee.

Repealing the depletion allowance for hardrock mining would save the taxpayer almost $800 million a year.

Progressive tax, economic and financial policies are not only critical for our environment, but are also fairer and more equitable for our society.