Senate Votes to Allow Mining Near Minnesota Wilderness
Senator Tina Smith argued that allowing the Chilean-owned mine would outsource minerals to China rather than following an 'America First' strategy.
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Senator Tina Smith argued that allowing the Chilean-owned mine would outsource minerals to China rather than following an 'America First' strategy.
Republished from The New York Times, with credit to the original publisher.
31 stories · 94–95 · updated Sep 25, 2026
This is The New York Times's own score, and this article is credited to The New York Times. The host score in the Source Check is DNYUZ's.
The Senate narrowly voted 50-49 to repeal a mining moratorium near Minnesota's Boundary Waters wilderness. This measure utilizes the Congressional Review Act to advance a major copper-nickel mine project despite environmental concerns and bipartisan procedural opposition.
Republican Senator who voted against the resolution
Tillis's version of this story ↗
Democratic Senator opposing the mining repeal
Heinrich's version of this story ↗
Republican Senator who voted against the resolution
Republican Senator who did not vote
Left-leaning outlets like Mother Jones frame Senator Smith’s five-hour floor speech as a defense of the environment against Republican exploitation of obscure laws. In contrast, center-leaning sources such as CNBC and GV Wire highlight Smith’s geopolitical arguments, focusing on her warnings that the project benefits foreign conglomerates at the expense of America First interests.
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