Today, U.S. Congressman Paul A. Gosar, D.D.S. (AZ-04) released the following statement after the Democrat-led House Committee on Natural Resources rammed through three partisan bills that attack American energy and national security:
"Democrats continue to put the interests of well-funded environmental extremists above the interests of the American people. H.R. 1373, a million-acre land grab, is an attack on my district and opposed by the people in my district. This bill will kill jobs, harm local economies, infringe on private property rights, threaten national security and undermine American energy security. The United States should not be reliant on hostile nations for critical minerals and rare earths important to our defense and national security. Finally, we should not be permanently locking up more than 1.32 million acres of land in Arizona and New Mexico in order to appease Democrat special-interests. Fortunately, these bills aren't worth the paper they were printed on and have zero chance of being signed into law."
Background:
HR 1373 – Land grab permanently bans oil, natural gas, geothermal, uranium and other mineral entry on over a million acres of land in Arizona
This fundamentally-flawed legislation has existed in one form or another for more than a decade.
H.R. 1373 permanently bans energy production and leasing on more than one million acres of public land, equivalent to 80% of the size of the state of Delaware.
The withdrawal area targeted by this bill contains extremely value deposits of rare earths, critical minerals, copper and a 326,000,000 acre uranium reserve that contains the largest tract and highest grade uranium in the nation by a factor of six.
H.R. 1373 will reduce important revenues for education, roads, hospitals and infrastructure.
This bill will kill jobs, harm local economies, infringe on private property rights, threaten national security and undermine American energy security.
Groups and elected officials formally opposing this bill can be viewed HERE. Groups and elected officials on record in opposition to a similar bill can be viewed HERE.
HR 2181 – Land grab permanently bans oil, natural gas, coal and other minerals from federal leasing and future development on 316,000 acres in New Mexico
H.R. 2181 places our economic and energy security at risk by putting an area rich in oil and gas resources permanently off limits to production.
H.R. 2181 will harm education. In fiscal year 2018, oil and natural gas production generated $2.2 billion for New Mexico’s general fund and accounted for one-third of all revenue in the fund.
Indian allottees concerns with this bill have not been heard or addressed.
The proposed 316,000-acre “buffer” is a solution in search of a problem.
Oil and gas production has taken place in this area for decades, with no damage to the national park. Park boundaries were drawn to ensure protection of Chaco Canyon.
Groups and elected officials formally opposing this bill can be viewed HERE.
HR 3405 – Permanently removes uranium from the critical minerals list
Permanently removes uranium from the critical minerals list and prevents it from ever being relisted in the future regardless of national security or economic circumstances.
The U.S. is currently importing 93% of its commercial uranium from foreign countries, namely foreign adversaries Russia (15%), Kazakhstan (23%), Uzbekistan (7%) and Namibia (China) 6%.
The. U.S. is at already risk of losing the domestic uranium industry.
Just last week, findings were released from Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross that concluded “uranium is being imported into the United States in such quantities and under such circumstances as to threaten to impair the national security of the United States.”
Groups and elected officials formally opposing this bill can be viewed HERE.
