Senate narrowly passes resolution reversing mining ban near BWCA
The U.S. Senate passed House Joint Resolution 140 on Thursday morning in a 50-49 vote.
The vote came after Minnesota Sen. Tina Smith held the Senate floor for three hours Wednesday night in protest of the resolution.
Following Senate passage, the resolution heads to the desk of President Donald Trump, who is expected to sign it.
The vote marks a victory for mining advocates and for Twin Metals, a subsidiary of the mining conglomerate Antofagasta. The company is currently suing the U.S. government after its mining leases were terminated by Public Land Order 7917. House Joint Resolution 140 would reinstate those leases.
Smith led Democratic opposition to the resolution alongside Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar, Wisconsin Sen. Tammy Baldwin and New Mexico Sen. Martin Heinrich.
Opponents cited environmental concerns and raised questions about the precedent of using the Congressional Review Act to overturn a public land order. They also questioned the economic benefit of the copper, noting it would be shipped overseas for processing.
“It was deeply disappointing to see my colleagues pass this resolution in the face of the science and the data,” Smith said in a press conference following the vote.
Smith was joined at the press conference by Save the Boundary Waters Executive Director Ingrid Lyons, White Earth Nation Chairman Michael Fairbanks, and Matthew Schultz of Sportsmen for the Boundary Waters.
“This is one of those fights that transcends the boundary waters and Minnesota,” Schultz said. “We’ve only had 250 years to damage the beautiful resources in this country. The U.S. is worse off today than it was yesterday because of this precedent.”
No Republican senators spoke on the floor during the open debate period.
Smith said she expects the resolution to face legal challenges from outside groups.
WTIP has spoken with multiple business owners, environmental advocates, mining advocates, and politicians about copper-sulfide mining near the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. A feature, combining the coverage from the past year, can be found below.
Josh Hinke April 16, 2026
