A long-simmering fight over mining in northeastern Minnesota hit a turning point this week, as the U.S. Senate voted to lift a 20-year ban on mining near the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.

For U.S. Rep. Pete Stauber, a Republican from Minnesota’s Eighth District, the vote marks the payoff of a yearslong effort to roll back federal protections and revive mining on the Iron Range.

Stauber has made mining a central issue of his four terms in office, arguing that responsible mineral development is critical to jobs, domestic supply chains and national security. He has introduced legislation, convened hearings and pressed federal agencies to reinstate mining leases in the Superior National Forest.

He’s also been a key ally to Twin Metals Minnesota, which has proposed to mine for copper, nickel, cobalt and other minerals within the watershed of the Boundary Waters.

“A major victory for America and for Minnesota’s families and workers was secured today,” Stauber said in a statement after the Senate passed his measure, which he pushed through the House. “Never again can any Democrat President or administration unilaterally ban mining in this vital portion of the Superior National Forest, killing jobs and locking away trillions of dollars of critical minerals essential to our way of life.”

Stauber would not answer further questions from the Minnesota Star Tribune about his measure when approached on Capitol Hill.

His success could come with consequences, some Democrats warn.

“A majority of the people in [Stauber’s] own congressional district don’t want this mine in this place, even if they support mining broadly,” Sen. Tina Smith said Thursday after the measure passed in the Senate.

As chair of the House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources, Stauber used his position to amplify the case for domestic mining and push legislation to streamline federal permitting.

He and his allies have increasingly framed mining as a national security issue — reducing reliance on foreign minerals and strengthening U.S. supply chains. Stauber’s latest push gained new momentum after Republicans took control of Congress and President Donald Trump began his second term.

In 2024, Stauber’s Superior National Forest Restoration Act, legislation that also would have also overturned the Biden-era mining ban near the BWCAW, advanced out of the Republican-controlled U.S. House.

But it was unable to move further in the U.S. Senate when Democrats held slim control that year.

After the 2024 elections, when Republicans gained control of both the House and Senate, Stauber pushed for a more sweeping measure aimed at preventing future administrations from reinstating the mining ban and locking in access for the long term.

He introduced the resolution in January using a process known as the Congressional Review Act, a 1996 law that allows lawmakers to roll back rules issued by the executive branch.

Passage of his measure by both chambers and the expected approval of Trump will bar future presidents from enacting similar federal action. Only an act of Congress could reinstate similar mining prohibitions in the Superior National Forest.

“It would not have happened without him,” said state Rep. Spencer Igo, a Republican who previously worked in one of Stauber’s field offices.

Igo said he has confidence that any potential mines — including the proposed Twin Metals copper-nickel project — would face rigorous environmental review before moving forward.

“All northern Minnesota is asking for — all the Iron Range is asking for — is a fair shake to go through the process and vet these mines,” Igo added.

The Senate vote reopens the door to mineral leasing and exploration on federal lands that had been off-limits, including areas near the Boundary Waters.

Opponents, including environmental groups and many Democrats, warn the move could put one of the country’s most pristine wilderness areas at risk. The Boundary Waters, a vast network of lakes and forests, draws hundreds of thousands of visitors each year.

“Minnesotans and the American public writ large have been loud and clear — this iconic place needs to be protected,” Ingrid Lyonsc, the executive director of Save the Boundary Waters, said in a statement. “Today, by the very people who claim to represent them, they were ignored, and even worse, silenced.”

Stauber flipped the district in 2018 after former Democratic Rep. Rick Nolan retired. He’s won it handily in every election cycle since. The district has also swung heavily for Trump since 2016.

The passage of the measure comes a day after actor and reality TV star Luke Gulbranson entered the Eighth District race to take on Stauber. Gulbranson told the Star Tribune he opposed the congressman’s measure.

Some Democrats hope the passage of Stauber’s proposal will be a wake-up call for their base, but whether it will become a flashpoint in the race remains to be seen.

“My hope is that Rep. Stauber and some of the other elected politicians up north who have gone along with these proposals and promoted them will have a rude awakening in the fall,” said state Sen. Jen McEwen, DFL-Duluth, who called its passage a “huge betrayal” to the people of northeastern Minnesota.

Smith acknowledged the Eighth District has been trending red but said she hopes “there’ll be a really good contest” this year on the heels of the vote to lift mining restrictions.

“Pete Stauber is a consistent voice for Donald Trump,” Smith said. “People in the Eighth District are struggling to try to figure out how to afford their lives, and he is not on their side.”

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Chloe Johnson of the Minnesota Star Tribune contributed to this story.

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