Susan Collins: “I thank the gentleman for yielding. I also thank the gentleman for his commitment not just for his district, not just…”

“I thank the gentleman for yielding. I also thank the gentleman for his commitment not just for his district, not just for the communities in his district and the industry, but the communities and industries across this whole country. Mr. Speaker, we had the opportunity last year to visit his district and hold a field hearing. As a matter of fact, Mr. Speaker, there was not a single colleague from the other side of the aisle that attended that field hearing. If they did, they would have learned a few things. Number one, that it is one of the largest deposits of critical minerals in the world. That Federal land sits beside State land that does have permits for mining the same thing, but the Federal land is being held up. As a matter of fact, 80 percent of all critical minerals that are mined in this country are sent over to China to be processed because we have shut down smelters in this country. We are down to three. My colleagues would have also seen the look on the faces up there, the face of people in a community that is being devastated. They are worried not just about themselves, but for the generations that are to come. These are people that set the standard for mining around the world. Mr. Speaker, this bill is one more step in overturning and untangling this web these out-of-control Federal agencies have placed on a good industry, a great industry in our country. Mr. Speaker, I encourage all of my colleagues to please vote for this bill.”