Government shut down delays bill progress

In the first government shut down in 17 years, many important bills await review in Congress.

Two of these bills – H.R. 687 and H.R. 761 – are integral to the launch of new minerals mining projects in the U.S. The former would allow for the development of a copper mine in Arizona and the latter is the ever-important National Strategic and Critical Minerals Production Act of 2013, which recently passed the House and is awaiting action in the Senate.

National Mining Association strongly encourages action on H.R. 761 and H.R. 687 once Congress comes to a compromise on the continuing resolution, which would effectively end the shutdown. Permitting delays – only made worse by political gridlock – contribute to the United States’ unattractive investment environment as evidenced in Behre Dolbear’s annual “Where Not to Invest” list and the declining share of global investment in metals mining over the last 20 years—falling from 21 percent in 1993 to approximately 8 percent today.

If passed, these bills would encourage high-wage jobs creation and a steady, reliable supply chain for domestic manufacturers and our military.