Jeff Bingaman

The committee is conducting a hearing today on 2 bills, S. 796 and S. 140 which will reform the antiquated Mining Law of 1872.

NMA cannot support S. 796, the 'Hardrock Mining and Reclamation Act of 2009' or S. 140 the 'Abandoned Mine Reclamation Act of 2009' as currently written for two reasons.

America's families, communities and businesses cannot sustain higher energy costs, additional job losses and further weakening of our economy during these difficult times.

Congress needs to address the concerns of these local communities and protect these iconic landscapes.

I believe that it is time for us to change the way in which the public lands are patented.

Mining companies invest huge resources in their mining operations. They need to have the security of tenure.

At the request of New Mexico Senators Jeff Bingaman and Tom Udall (June 24, 2009), the National Park Service performed a reconnaissance study.

We applaud Chairman Bingaman for his leadership and commitment to safeguarding this land.

We thank Chairman Bingaman, as well as Senator Tom Udall, and their staffs, for all the hard work that has gone into developing this special legislation.

Senator Bingaman has introduced the Hardrock Mining and Reclamation Act of 2009 (S. 796), which would establish substantial reforms to the 1872 Mining Law.

Billions of dollars of hardrock minerals can be mined from Federal lands without payment of a royalty.

Secretary of Agriculture must take any action necessary to prevent unnecessary or undue degradation in administering mineral activities on National Forest System land.

Senator Bingaman, Chair of this full Committee, introduced legislation to reform the 137 year old Mining Law of 1872.

Passage of S.409 would give us access to land needed to complete our $1 billion exploration and pre-feasibility effort.

Senator Bingaman, thank you for your question and your concerns regarding the effect on water supplies and riparian areas in the Resolution Copper Mine proposal.

Senator Bingaman's bill is the product of many years of discussions and collaboration with the local community, stakeholders, and other interested parties.

Thank you very much, Senator Wyden, and thanks for having this hearing.

I would favor an individual mandate. I think it's cleaner.

It's a mistake to put that in the legislation at this time and instead we should require reporting on medical loss ratios.

We need to clarify that nothing we're doing in community rating would interfere with the variation of premium to accomplish these kinds of programs that Mr. Burd talked about?

You're agnostic on the question?

That is a very expensive prospect.

We respectfully urge that you support S.1053 and give us the flexibility to complete this important Congressionally authorized project.

It is well past the time for our nation to have a Congressionally authorized, world-class museum dedicated to telling the story of law enforcement in America.

I support anything that works to reduce CO2, to reduce costs for the taxpayer, to reduce imports and energy from abroad, make us more energy independent.