H.J. Res. 140

Floor Speech

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Ms. BALDWIN. Thank you for your leadership, Senator Smith.

And I also want to note the powerful words that Senator Klobuchar just shared. She took me down memory lane as we remember the conservationists and the folks that came from our States.

And just earlier today, I was noting with my staff that next week we will be commemorating the 56th anniversary of Earth Day, the first Earth Day, and it was Gaylord Nelson, a Senator in this body who brought forth the whole concept of respecting the Earth and celebrating with a day focused on celebration of the Earth.

Wisconsin was also home for large portions of their lives, Aldo Leopold and John Muir. And hearing those accounts makes me feel especially humbled and honored to rise to speak to this resolution, this joint resolution that is before the Senate right now that we really must defeat.

I want to share with my colleagues what is at stake if the Senate removes protections from the Boundary Waters. The Boundary Waters Wilderness Area is one of the most pristine freshwater systems in the entire country.

And if these protections are rolled back and mining moves forward, there is no restoring, there is no restoration of this watershed. It will be risking permanent damage for the profits of a multibillion- dollar foreign mining company, and I will return to that in a moment.

We must recognize who will be most affected by revoking the protections that have been in place for decades and for good reason.

Tribal nations in this region have lived with and depended upon the Boundary Waters for generations. These lands are sacred to the Ojibwe people. Tribes have treaty rights to hunt, to fish, and to gather. Voting for this resolution would betray our centuries-old treaties between the United States and the Chippewa of Lake Superior.

We cannot say that we respect Tribal sovereignty while undermining the very resources that those rights depend upon.

There is a reason that the Boundary Waters is also America's most popular and water-rich wilderness area. Its 1.1 million acres contain more than a thousand pristine lakes and 1,200 miles of river and stream.

Voting for this resolution risks the destruction of the region's prized natural resources, where the wild rice beds and the fisheries are thriving, and the water is clean and safe to drink.

People come from all over this country to recreate on the Boundary Waters, fish in the lakes, hunt in the forests. Before my colleagues vote to greenlight a mining operation, I urge them to come and see the beauty and the magic of the Boundary Waters. I have done so. It was an amazing experience. And I have heard from so many Wisconsinites who have shared their stories, their memories. And they cannot fathom the idea that Congress would take the step that we are on the precipice of taking.

As well, I have heard from our 11 federally recognized Tribal nations and their strong opposition. Our waters, our rivers, our lakes are all a part of the way of life in the Midwest. They provide fresh drinking water; they are endless sources of recreation; and they bring tourism to our States.

You know, this area, in particular, generates over $900 million in annual tourism revenue and sustains roughly 17,000 jobs. Rural towns across the region depend on the protection of the wilderness area and its natural resources. Family-owned small businesses that provide guiding and fishing and outdoor recreation will not survive if the water is polluted and the wilderness is degraded.

The Boundary Waters must not be put at risk of perpetual pollution, which is what this resolution would do. I also just want to make it clear to my colleagues who actually stands to benefit if this resolution passes the Senate.

While we have heard that rolling back protections for the Boundary Waters would bring economic opportunities for the region, that is false. The profits from the mining contract that this resolution aims to fast track are ultimately going overseas to benefit a Chilean multinational organization and China's industrial supply chain.

That is right. After enabling the destruction of one of our most pristine natural resources, those very resources are expected to be sold to China. With this resolution, the majority will be cashing out on a mining deal that has no long-term benefit to our economy or workforce.

The short-term gain of a mining contract cannot compete with the benefits of protecting the region that already generates, as I said earlier, over $900 million annually in tourism revenue and sustains nearly 17,000 jobs.

This resolution does not invest in the future of communities across the Boundary Waters, nor does it respect the treaties with our Tribal nations. Its passage would come at public expense while the profits from the project flow to foreign corporations.

I invite my colleagues who have never yet made it to the Boundary Waters to come and experience it for yourself.

I encourage you to meet with the Tribes and small businesses in the region and see for yourself what we stand to lose. I implore my colleagues not to jeopardize the future of one of the most pristine freshwater ecosystems in America and override Tribal rights.

I urge my colleagues to vote no on this resolution.

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