From Essential Minerals Association, International Diatomite Producers Association
The 119th Congress convened at noon today, following a somewhat anticlimactic end to the 118th. Despite Senator John Barrasso’s best efforts, the drive to enact the Mining Schools Act will bridge into the new year.
With little hope for freestanding bills to pass during the post-election “lame duck session” of Congress, everyone made a pitch to attach their bill to an end-of-year budget package. As widely reported before the holidays, criticism of the initial House package forced leadership to shrink it from 1,547 pages down to just 116.
The revised package included only essential elements (like emergency relief funds for damage wreaked by hurricanes Milton and Helene) and an extension of Fiscal Year 2025 government funding through March 14. There was no possibility of discretionary items like the Mining Schools Act being included in the final version.
The Mining Schools Act will need to be reintroduced in the 119th Congress. With the retirement of original cosponsor Joe Manchin from the Senate, Sen. Barrasso will need to find a new partner to spearhead the bill in that chamber—likely not a problem, given the history of bipartisan support and variety of states with schools that would benefit from the grants. And although Sen. Mike Lee will replace Sen. Barrasso as the top-ranking Republican on the committee with jurisdiction over the bill, Barrasso will remain second-ranking member of that committee. In the House, bipartisan cosponsors Burgess Owens and Jim Costa are returning to Congress after being reelected in November.
It’s a bit early to handicap prospects for the bill this year, but progress in 2023 demonstrated its general viability going forward. Senate passage in July was an important milestone that shifted focus to the House. In mid-December, the House Natural Resources Committee approved the bill, which qualified it to be considered by that chamber as a freestanding measure or as part of a larger package. A new Congress resets the process, and the bill must advance through the same stages it did last year. Nevertheless, it enters the 119th Congress with momentum that it lacked going into the prior Congress.
After Senate sponsorship gets settled and the sponsors’ legislative strategy gels, we will provide an update including any actions the coalition can take.