WASHINGTON (TND) — President Joe Biden has banned mining in Minnesota's Iron Range, escalating tensions over where and how to get minerals crucial to his renewable energy proposals.
Republican Rep. Pete Stauber of Minnesota joined The National Desk’s Jan Jeffcoat Wednesday morning to discuss how the ban is affecting his state.
“We have 95% of the nation's nickel, almost 90% of the cobalt reserves, over a third of the copper and other platinum group metals that can strategically help our nation secure our supply chain and Joe Biden banned mining in northeastern Minnesota, where those minerals are, purely for political reasons,” Stauber said.
Stauber says the president didn’t “follow the science, the truth or the facts” upon making the decision.
“Mining is our past our present and our future in northern Minnesota,” he said. “And we feel our future’s great. We have to have the political will to mine here in the United States and not in the Congo where they use child slave labor.”
Stauber also touched on China’s spot as the world leader in mining resources and EV parts. House Republicans and Senate Democrats recently launched probes into EV battery manufacturers and their reliance on the country.
“Just over a month ago this administration entered into an MOU with the Congo to mine minerals in the Congo, who use child slave labor,” he said. “And by the way, 15 of the 19 industrial mines in the Congo are owned by the Chinese government. So this administration turns a blind eye to child slave labor, horrendous working conditions, no environmental standards, no labor standards to meet their green agenda here in this country.”
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