By Ted Lake
Arizona Silver Belt
Washington — Members of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives are on a break until after the Nov. 6 election. Still bottled up in the Senate’s 21-member Natural Resources Committee is the Resolution Copper Mine Land Swap bill, which has gone nowhere since the committee’s Feb. 9 hearing.
A Washington, D.C. insider said the Senate is expected to meet for only about two weeks after the election during Congress’ “lame duck” session and then will adjourn for the holidays and perhaps be out for the remainder of the year. Thus, ending the work of the 112th U.S. Congress.
This political insider, who did not want to be identified, says this short session next month could be the only remaining chance now that the land swap legislation has for getting Senate approval. Otherwise, HR 1904, introduced by Arizona Republican Paul Gosar, which easily passed the U.S. House last November, will officially be dead and will have to be reintroduced all over again in the House and the Senate next year.
