On the recordJuly 18, 2018
I thank the gentlewoman for yielding. Mr. Chairman, let me first start off by saying that I have great respect for my colleagues, both Representative Emmer and Representative Nolan, and the rest of our delegation, Representative McCollum included. This has been an ongoing debate. I just want to make sure folks understand, know, and can appreciate-- and I know the gentleman is going to withdraw the amendment--that hundreds of thousands of people have been weighing in on this ongoing public process, and their comments should not be ignored. That is the bottom line. Nor should we be ignoring a science-based assessment of the best management practices that are important for one of Minnesota's and the country's national treasures. We should be open to new types of mining in Minnesota, but only when those necessary environmental reviews are met. I refer to the Boundary Waters as Minnesota's Yellowstone. There is a reason for that. It has a national perspective with hundreds of thousands of Americans visiting it each and every year, whether it is canoeing or fishing. That is where some of my best memories in my life have taken place. So I want to make sure--we owe it to ourselves and future generations--that we rely on science before undertaking any activity that would disrupt this fragile ecosystem. Mr. Chairman, I want to thank the gentlewoman for yielding me time, and I want to thank my colleagues for their ongoing discussion on this issue. Mr.…
