Nick Rahall: “123 years ago today, President Grant signed into law a bill aimed at promoting the settlement of the Western States.…”

“123 years ago today, President Grant signed into law a bill aimed at promoting the settlement of the Western States. This bill allowed folks to mine valuable minerals such as gold and silver from Federal lands in those States for free. It also allowed people to obtain title to these lands for $2.50 an acre. In one sense, the mining law of 1872 served much the same purpose as the Homestead Act. Today, the Homestead Act has long since been repealed. The West is well settled. Yet, the mining law of 1872 survives intact, in this age of skyrocketing Federal budget deficits still allowing the wholesale giveaway of valuable Federal lands and minerals. It is incredible, but true, that annually under this law the United States allows about 1.8 billion dollars' worth of gold and silver to be mined for absolutely free. And for the most part, these minerals are not being mined by the lone prospector of old, but rather, by multinational corporations who reap the benefits of this last great giveaway of American natural resources. What a shame. What a shame, Congress, to allow lands, owned by every American, to be given away for fast food hamburger prices. To allow billions of dollars worth of the public wealth to be produced for free by corporations based in Luxembourg, Toronto, and London. Well, happy birthday mining law of 1872. But may I say, I hope there will not be any more such birthdays left to you.”