Cortez Masto, Risch Applaud House Passage of Bipartisan Legislation to Protect Critical Mineral Production in the West

Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) and Jim Risch (R-Idaho) released the following statement applauding the passage of their bipartisan Mining Regulatory Clarity Act in the U.S. House of Representatives, and calling for the Senate to move quickly on the bill.

"Everything from lithium-ion batteries to satellites relies on critical minerals, and we should be responsibly mining those right here in the U.S.," said Senator Cortez Masto. "Without a fix, the Rosemont decision could upend existing and future mining projects, threatening thousands of jobs in Nevada and across the West. I'll continue to stand up for our communities and for our clean energy future."

"Domestic mineral production is an economic, energy, and national security imperative. With the House passage of our Mining Regulatory Clarity Act, we are one step closer to cutting red tape that prevents many projects from moving forward," said Senator Risch. "I strongly urge Leaders Schumer and McConnell to bring this bill to the Senate floor for full consideration and passage."

The Mining Regulatory Clarity Act would protect critical mineral production in the west. The bill would address the recent Rosemont judicial decision, which could threaten responsible mining projects across the west and the more than 83,000 jobs supported by the mining industry in Nevada. The House-passed bill text includes language confirming that the legislationdoes not givemining companies unrestricted access to federal land, allow mining in parks and protected areas, prohibit the construction of renewable energy projects on public lands, or undermine Tribal rights.

The legislation is cosponsored in the Senate by Senators Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Kyrsten Sinema (I-Ariz.), and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska).

Senator Cortez Masto has led efforts in Congress to support Nevada's mining industry, protecting more than 83,000 local jobs and paving the way for Nevada to power the clean energy economy. She has consistently blocked burdensome taxes on mining and wrote important provisions of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to bolster Nevada's critical mineral supply chain and fund battery recycling programs in the state. She's also introduced bipartisan legislation to strengthen the domestic supply chain for rare-earth magnets.

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