Here’s another big win for UP. Last year, our Unleash Prosperity report by Ned Mamula (now head of the U.S. Geological Survey) estimated that U.S. mineral resources are worth close to $12 trillion, and are a potential source of $1 trillion in revenue to the Treasury.

But for too long, access has been blocked by unrealistic permitting demands, frivolous environmental lawsuits and federal directives locking up land.

So it’s good news that on Thursday, the Senate repealed a Biden moratorium on new mining across more than 225,000 acres of Minnesota’s Boundary Waters. The vote was 50 to 49 with GOP Senators Susan Collins of Maine and Thom Tillis of North Carolina joining every Democrat in opposition.

The Trump administration and Senate Republicans bypassed the filibuster by exploiting a procedural error made by the Biden Interior Department when they failed to officially submit their 2023 Public Land Order to Congress for review. That allowed the Trump administration to submit it for the first time in early 2026, starting a Congressional Review Act 60-session-day window for privileged review.

The House passed the measure 214 to 208 in January, with Jared Golden of Maine being the only Democratic yes and Don Bacon of Nebraska the only Republican no. Now the bill goes to President Trump for his signature.

Julie Lucas, a water scientist with the firm planning to mine Boundary Waters says this “is a world-class deposit….. copper, nickel, platinum, palladium, gold, cobalt, silver deposit that is unlike anywhere else in the U.S.”

We hope this is the start of a trend that opens up more of America’s vast mineral wealth to development. Why would we want to be dependent on China and Russia for rare earths and other crucial minerals when we have them right in our own backyard?