Nick Rahall: “My friends, a cruel hoax is being perpetrated on the American public. It is cruel indeed. For contained in this…”

“My friends, a cruel hoax is being perpetrated on the American public. It is cruel indeed. For contained in this conference report is a provision which will allow billions of dollars worth of valuable minerals underlying Federal lands to be transferred to private interests for free under the mining law of 1872. This provision exists despite a national outcry against this 19th century practice that continues to this day. It exists despite a bipartisan amendment which passed in this body by an overwhelming vote last July aimed at halting this practice. A vote of 271 to 153, on an amendment sponsored by the gentleman from Wisconsin, Scott Klug, and myself. It exists despite a motion to instruct House conferees to insist on retaining the language of this amendment in its dealings with the other body. And it exists despite the alleged preoccupation of some Members of this body that the Government should be run more like a business. Well, my friends, what business, what individual, would allow minerals underlying land that they owned to be given away for free?”