Today, the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) announced its decision to cancel federal leases held by Twin Metals Minnesota. House Committee on Natural Resources Ranking Member Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.) and Energy and Mineral Resources Subcommittee Ranking Member Peter Stauber (R-Minn.) issued the following statements in response: 

"Today’s decision by the Department of the Interior to cancel Twin Metals’ leases highlights the pure hypocrisy of the Biden administration. While President Biden continues to advocate for a buildout of renewable energy sources, his administration is simultaneously killing the kinds of projects that will provide the resources needed for renewable energy infrastructure. This disastrous decision increases our reliance on foreign adversaries like China in order to achieve Biden's goal of electrifying America. The Department's decision is wrong – wrong for Minnesotans and wrong for America. We will not stop fighting for what is right," said Westerman.

“The Biden Administration’s announcement today canceling these long-standing mineral leases will have devastating impacts on northern Minnesota and our nation. Let me be clear: President Biden is choosing to ban mining. He’s choosing foreign sourced minerals, including mines that use child slave labor, over our own domestic, union workforce that follows the best labor and environmental standards in the world. The Biden Administration doesn’t have a plan for mineral independence. On one hand, they want massive taxpayer investments in electric vehicles, and on the other, they refuse to allow domestic mineral production as demand continues to skyrocket. Instead, this Administration has decided to leave American, blue-collar workers behind and bow to pressure from radicals who prefer to rely on foreign adversarial nations for these minerals.

“I saw this coming from day one, which is why I was vocal in my opposition to Secretary Haaland’s nomination as Interior Secretary, as well as the Director of Bureau of Land Management, Tracy Stone-Manning. Joe Biden chose a cabinet full of the most extreme anti-mining activists. I choose to fight for our northern Minnesota miners," said Stauber.