MEMBER OF CONGRESS

Nicholas J. Begich III

Republican AK 2 statements translated

House of Representatives

Protecting Domestic Mining Act of 2025

2026-09-02

“I want this bill to pass. It will help my state. The government should make it easier to get permits for mining. Our country needs these resources. We should not depend on other countries. The government makes it hard to get permits. I think that is bad. This bill will make the process better. It will help the environment. It will create jobs. My state will benefit. That is good for everyone. We should pass this bill.”

Official Congressional Record

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 1501, the Protecting Domestic Mining Act. This bill extends the streamlined, coordinated permitting process under FAST-41 to all mining and mineral processing projects and blocks a Biden-era proposal that would have narrowed eligibility and deepened our dependence on foreign adversaries for the minerals America needs. Mr. Speaker, no State has more riding on this than Alaska. We are the fourth-largest mineral producer in the Nation, sitting on world-class deposits of rare earths, antimony, zinc, cobalt, and more. Yet, with over 60 percent of our State under Federal management, permitting timelines often extend for decades. That kind of paralysis does not help Alaskans, and it doesn't help the rest of America. It only helps our adversaries. While Washington dithers and delays valuable projects, China floods markets, corners processing capability, and wields mineral exports as leverage against American industry and military readiness. Alaska has the resources to help end our dependence on China for critical mineral production and processing. H.R. 1501 doesn't ask agencies to skip environmental review. It asks them to run it once on a predictable timeline rather than dragging responsible projects through duplicative reviews and years of shifting requirements. Alaska has shown time and again that resource development and environmental stewardship go hand in hand. Our Nation has the capability. What we have lacked is a Federal process that lets projects get built. Mr. Speaker, this is a commonsense bill. It strengthens our mineral supply chains, supports good-paying jobs in Alaska and across the country, and advances American resource independence. I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.

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House of Representatives

Northeast Lobsterman Protection Act of 2026

2026-09-01

“I support this bill. It gives more time to use better science. The current rules are based on old information. We need to update them. NOAA and the state need to incorporate new data. The restrictions could hurt the lobster industry. Good regulation needs good science. This bill does not weaken protections. It gives time to improve the rules. I want my colleagues to support this bill.”

Official Congressional Record

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 9436, the Northeast Lobsterman Protection Act. This bill is fundamentally about getting the science right. It gives the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association, or NOAA, the State of Maine, and the lobster industry until 2035 to incorporate the most current, complete data available before implementing sweeping new gear, closure, and speed restrictions under the MMPA, restrictions that, based on outdated information, could devastate a $2 billion industry and 17,500 jobs. Mr. Speaker, Alaska knows the cost of regulating with stale data. As the State with America's largest and most valuable commercial fishing industry, we have seen Federal agencies default to rigid one-size-fits- all mandates instead of investing in the modern surveys, monitoring, and technology needed to actually understand what is happening on the water. That approach does not serve the resource and it doesn't serve the people who depend on it, whether they are lobstermen in Maine or fishermen in Alaska Native communities back home. Good regulation has to keep pace with good science. H.R. 9436 does not weaken the MMPA or abandon right whale conservation. It gives regulators the runway to use better science and better tools to protect both the whales and the fishery. This committee endorsed that approach on a bipartisan 22-13 vote, and the Trump administration has backed it, as well. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this commonsense, bipartisan bill.

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