Work Highlights of Western Caucus

Floor Speech

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Mr. DOWNING. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from California for yielding.

Montana has many mottos, official and unofficial: The Last Best Place, Big Sky Country, the Treasure State. This last one recognizes the rich natural resources we have in the great State of Montana right underneath our feet.

Up until recently, Biden's anti-American policies have allowed foreign actors to dominate mineral markets, and this has stifled domestic energy production to the detriment of Western States like Montana.

I had the opportunity to return home last week, and I heard about these issues firsthand from miners across the Second District. In fact, I probably spent more time below ground than I did above it. Actually, I really enjoyed that.

I am going to talk first about Stillwater County. In Stillwater County, the miners of the Sibanye-Stillwater Mine are hard at work producing the only platinum and palladium that is mined in America. Years of feckless trade policy on the part of the Biden administration has allowed malign foreign actors like Russia to flood commodities markets, crippling smaller producers like Sibanye-Stillwater.

Russia, which represents more than a third of the market, has been subsidizing and dumping these critical minerals, causing artificially low commodity prices.

This resulted in the layoff of approximately 700 hardworking miners just last year as the negative effect from dumping has not only affected the commodity price, but it has made it so that the commodity price is below the actual cost to extract it. The ripple effects are still being felt throughout my district.

This is why Montana's congressional delegation is stepping up. I stand shoulder to shoulder with Congressman Zinke and Senators Daines and Sheehy. We introduced the Stop Russian Market Manipulation Act. This bans imports of critical minerals from Russia.

We are creating a competitive market for U.S. mineral producers not driven down by dumping from foreign actors and extending a vital lifeline to operations like Stillwater. This not only allows these mines to support their work forces, but this also drives the local economy, my State economy, and is also a factor in the security of the United States of America.

Our bill encourages domestic production, decreases reliance on foreign minerals, shores up supply chains, and significantly bolsters national security, all while dealing a critical blow to Putin's war machine. These factors combine to make a real difference in the lives of hardworking Montanans who rely on these jobs to make ends meet.

Signal Peak Mine, in Musselshell County, has faced a similar reality after years of regulatory foot-dragging and America-last energy policy threatened Montana's only underground coal mining operation.

I spoke with miners who expressed concern about Signal Peak's future amidst permitting uncertainty and resource unavailability. My Crow Revenue Act eliminates this uncertainty by facilitating a critical land transfer that unlocks access to minable Federal coal while providing the Crow Tribe with a piece of the revenue. With bicameral support, I am confident we will get this bill across the finish line for our Tribal communities and our State economy. More importantly, this is another step in ensuring American energy dominance.

In closing, let me make one thing abundantly clear: There is a new sheriff in town. None of these efforts would stand a chance of becoming law without this administration. President Trump has taken swift executive action to declare a national energy emergency, reopened exploration on Federal lands and waters, appointed an all-star Cabinet with the likes of Secretary Wright and Secretary Burgum to streamline permitting and unleash American energy.

This is why I am hopeful for projects like Black Butte Copper near White Sulphur Springs that are committed to unlocking the Treasure State's resources and driving rural economic development, all in a responsible manner. I can't wait to see what these next 4 years bring for my State and others like it. Let us not squander this opportunity and work together to make American mining great again.

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