Ms. Montalbano goes to Washington

An American Experiment policy fellow shares her expertise with the WMC.

The Women’s Mining Coalition (WMC) was founded by three female geologists in 1993 to explain the importance of modern, domestic mining to legislators. One of these inspiring women is Debra Struhsacker, who coauthored American Experiment’s report, “Mission Impossible: Mineral Shortages and the Broken Permitting Process Put Net Zero Goals Out of Reach” with me last autumn.

Thirty-two years after its founding, I had the honor of joining WMC in Washington, D.C. this spring to represent Center of the American Experiment. It was a truly incredible experience. I met with 16 congressional offices, thanked several congressmen personally for their support of domestic mining, and watched the Washington Nationals lose miserably to the Cleveland Guardians (9-1) with 45 other women in mining.

It was an ideal time to be on Capitol Hill. The House Committee on Natural Resources was marking up its portion of the budget reconciliation text that Tuesday, and debate stretched into the early hours of Wednesday morning. The proposed reconciliation bill would reinstate key mineral leases in northern Minnesota and reverse the Superior National Forest’s mineral withdrawal, restore leasing for energy production in the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska and the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, and reinstate quarterly onshore oil and gas lease sales, among many other positive policies.

WMC members spoke to legislators about the urgent need to streamline the broken permitting process, foster more domestic mineral exploration, and ensure the grid provides secure, affordable, and reliable electricity for all. It was truly striking how mining has become broadly supported across bipartisan lines. Even in meetings with the staffers of Democratic members in states that have little to do with mining, ears perked up when I described the growing reliability crises in their regional grids and how more domestic mining will produce the minerals needed to bolster their grids with wind, solar, and nuclear sources.

In collaboration with the office of House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La, WMC held a memorable closing reception within the Capitol itself, which happened to be during a floor vote. Given our proximity to the vote, several congressmen dropped in on the reception, including Chairman of the Committee on Natural Resources Bruce Westerman, R-Ark., and congressmen Pete Stauber, R-Minn., Riley Moore, R-W.Va., Nick Begich, R-Alaska, and Paul Gosar, R-Ariz. I had the distinct pleasure of thanking Rep. Stauber, who chairs the Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources, after he addressed the reception about the importance of mining to Minnesota.

I also met and took a picture with the sole representative of my home state of Alaska, Nick Begich, who serves as vice chair of the Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources. Ms. Struhsacker and I had several more meetings to advance American Experiment’s policy solutions for increased domestic mining and shoring up the electric grid.

It was inspiring to get to know the 45 other attendees from various industry and professional organizations. Several women were students of mining engineering about to finish their degrees. I learned that while the U.S. graduates about 300 mining engineers from its 14 mining schools every year, China graduates about 10 times that number annually. America is facing an industry retirement cliff in the next 10 years.

The week I spent with women in mining reminds me that policy solutions, while a major focus of American Experiment’s work, are no substitute for telling the story of modern domestic mining and the people who benefit from it. In Minnesota’s Iron Range, mining is a source of pride in the past, economic vitality in the present, and hope for the future. I’m proud to have told that story to congressmen this spring on behalf of American Experiment.