Overview
- The House approved H.J. Res. 140 to nullify the Biden administration’s 2023 mineral withdrawal in Minnesota’s Superior National Forest.
- The resolution now moves to the Senate, and passage there would send it to President Donald Trump for consideration.
- Republicans argue lifting the ban is necessary for domestic supplies of copper, nickel and cobalt, citing national security and supply-chain concerns.
- Democrats say the Congressional Review Act cannot erase public land protections and that the challenge is time-barred, while Republicans claim Congress was not properly notified in 2023.
- Repeal could reopen a path for the proposed Twin Metals copper‑nickel‑cobalt project near the Boundary Waters, though any mine would still require leases, environmental review and permits.