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Signature Sponsor
April 16, 2026 -
Last night in the Senate we got one step closer to Congress reversing an improper land withdrawal from the Biden Administration. The Senate advanced a House-passed resolution championed by Rep. Pete Stauber that would lift a mining ban on a huge swath of mineral rich land in Minnesota. The Senate will take a final vote this morning.
Yesterday, Secretary of Energy Chris Wright testified before the House Appropriations Committee on the Department of Energy’s FY 2027 budget proposal. In addition to joining the chorus of voices advocating for congressional permitting reform he also highlighted specific points in the budget relevant to the mining industry.
He stressed the critical role of baseload power and grid reliability, including a $3.5 billion initiative to expand and modernize dispatchable generation.
The Secretary highlighted a $1.1 billion investment in minerals and innovation through the Office of Critical Minerals and Energy Innovation, which includes approximately $394 million for pilot-scale critical minerals production and processing demonstrations aimed at strengthening domestic supply chains and reducing reliance on foreign sources.
Finally, the Wallstreet Journal has an interesting piece on The Science Behind deep sea mining. Conservationists say retrieving the approach will destroy sea life while environmental studies show conflicting results. The piece looks at both perspectives.
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