Nolan, Rick Rep

<span style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 15.5938px; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; display: inline !important; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">This week Rep. Rick Nolan (MN) reintroduced the We the People Amendment in Congress. Nolan is joined by 20 brave bipartisan colleagues. We're right on track with this 2017 strategic plan goal: Reintroduce the We the People Amendment and acquire 35 co-sponsors.<span style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 15.5938px; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; display: inline !important; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><span style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 15.5938px; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; display: inline !important; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">5/15<span style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 15.5938px; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; display: inline !important; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
Congressman Rick Nolan of Minnesota spoke at the press conference, telling attendees that “Good and successful movements in this country have always started with ordinary people who commit to accomplishing great things. And so it was with ending slavery, with child labor laws, environmental laws, women’s suffrage, civil rights, the progressive income tax, Social Security, Medicare, rights for the disabled – you name it – this movement transcends labels, it transcends political parties, it transcends regions and it transcends generations.”Nolan added that “America’s future and American democracy is dependent upon the success of this movement.” In addition to Nolan, co-sponsors of the bill include Mark Pocan (WI), Matthew Cartwright (PA), Jared Huffman (CA), Raul Grijalva (AZ), and Keith Ellison (MN).

=Representatives Nolan and Pocan Introduce 'We the People' AmendmentSubmitted by oskebuckley on Mon, 02/11/2013 - 12:13 On Monday, February 11, Move to Amend announced the introduction in Congress of the 'We the People' amendment by Representative Rick Nolan and Representative Mark Pocan. The amendment states: 
"Rights recognized under the Constitution belong to human beings only, and not to government-created artificial legal entities such as corporations and limited liability companies; and  
Political campaign spending is not a form of speech protected under the First Amendment."
Congratulations to Move to Amend on the introduction of the 'We the People' amendment! To read the press release announcing the 'We the People' amendment, click here. 
To read the text of the 'We the People' amendment, click here. =

Richard Michael "Rick" Nolan (born December 17, 1943) is an <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States" title="United States" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">American</a> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Politician" title="Politician" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">politician</a> who has been the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_House_of_Representatives" title="United States House of Representatives" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">U.S. Representative</a> for <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minnesota%27s_8th_congressional_district" title="Minnesota's 8th congressional district" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">Minnesota's 8th congressional district</a>since 2013. A member of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minnesota_Democratic%E2%80%93Farmer%E2%80%93Labor_Party" title="Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party</a>, he previously served as the U.S. Representative for <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minnesota%27s_6th_congressional_district" title="Minnesota's 6th congressional district" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">Minnesota's 6th congressional district</a> from 1975 to 1981. After re-entering politics in 2011, he was nominated to challenge first-term incumbent Republican <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chip_Cravaack" title="Chip Cravaack" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">Chip Cravaack</a> in the 8th district,<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rick_Nolan#cite_note-1" style="text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap; background: none;">[1]</a> defeating Cravaack on November 6, 2012.<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rick_Nolan#cite_note-2" style="text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap; background: none;">[2]</a>

<h2 style="font-weight: bold; margin: 1em 0px 0.25em; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; border: none; display: inline; line-height: 1.3; background: none;">Contents</h2>

[<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rick_Nolan#" id="togglelink" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">hide</a>] </div>

<li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-1" style=" margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rick_Nolan#Early_life" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">1 Early life</a></li>

<li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-2" style=" margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rick_Nolan#Early_political_career" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">2 Early political career</a></li>

<li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-3" style=" margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rick_Nolan#Business_career" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">3 Business career</a></li>

<li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-4" style=" margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rick_Nolan#Return_to_politics" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">4 Return to politics</a>

<li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-5" style=" margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rick_Nolan#2012_campaign_for_U.S._Congress" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">4.1 2012 campaign for U.S. Congress</a></li>

<li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-6" style=" margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rick_Nolan#2014_campaign_for_U.S._Congress" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">4.2 2014 campaign for U.S. Congress</a></li>

<li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-7" style=" margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rick_Nolan#Issues" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">4.3 Issues</a>

<li class="toclevel-3 tocsection-8" style=" margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rick_Nolan#2nd_Amendment" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">4.3.1 2nd Amendment</a></li>

<li class="toclevel-3 tocsection-9" style=" margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rick_Nolan#Pipelines" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">4.3.2 Pipelines</a></li>

<li class="toclevel-3 tocsection-10" style=" margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rick_Nolan#Taxes" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">4.3.3 Taxes</a></li>

<li class="toclevel-3 tocsection-11" style=" margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rick_Nolan#Spending" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">4.3.4 Spending</a></li>

<li class="toclevel-3 tocsection-12" style=" margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rick_Nolan#Health_care" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">4.3.5 Health care</a></li>

<li class="toclevel-3 tocsection-13" style=" margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rick_Nolan#Veterans" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">4.3.6 Veterans</a></li>

<li class="toclevel-3 tocsection-14" style=" margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rick_Nolan#Mining" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">4.3.7 Mining</a></li>

<li class="toclevel-3 tocsection-15" style=" margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rick_Nolan#Abortion" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">4.3.8 Abortion</a></li>

<li class="toclevel-3 tocsection-16" style=" margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rick_Nolan#.22No_Government.2C_No_Pay.22_Act" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">4.3.9 "No Government, No Pay" Act</a></li>

</ul>

</li>

<li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-17" style=" margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rick_Nolan#113th_Congress" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">4.4 113th Congress</a></li>

<li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-18" style=" margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rick_Nolan#Electoral_history" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">4.5 Electoral history</a></li>

</ul>

</li>

<li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-19" style=" margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rick_Nolan#Personal_life" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">5 Personal life</a></li>

<li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-21" style=" margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rick_Nolan#References" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">7 References</a></li>

<li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-22" style=" margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rick_Nolan#External_links" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">8 External links</a></li>

</ul>

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<h2 style="font-weight: normal; margin: 1em 0px 0.25em; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(170, 170, 170); line-height: 1.3; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background: none rgb(255, 255, 255);">Early life<span class="mw-editsection" style="user-select: none; font-weight: normal; margin-left: 1em; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 1em; display: inline-block; white-space: nowrap; unicode-bidi: -webkit-isolate;">[<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Rick_Nolan&action=edit&section=1&editintro=Template:BLP_editintro" title="Edit section: Early life" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">edit</a>]</h2>

Early in his career he served as a staff assistant to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walter_Mondale" title="Walter Mondale" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">Walter Mondale</a> in the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Senate" title="United States Senate" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">United States Senate</a>,<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rick_Nolan#cite_note-state1-5" style="text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap; background: none;">[5]</a> and was a teacher of social studies in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royalton,_Minnesota" title="Royalton, Minnesota" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">Royalton, Minnesota</a>.<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rick_Nolan#cite_note-congress1-4" style="text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap; background: none;">[4]</a> In 1968, he campaigned for presidential candidate Eugene McCarthy.<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rick_Nolan#cite_note-nationaljournal-3" style="text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap; background: none;">[3]</a>

...

<h2 style="font-weight: normal; margin: 1em 0px 0.25em; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(170, 170, 170); line-height: 1.3; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background: none rgb(255, 255, 255);">Business career<span class="mw-editsection" style="user-select: none; font-weight: normal; margin-left: 1em; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 1em; display: inline-block; white-space: nowrap; unicode-bidi: -webkit-isolate;">[<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Rick_Nolan&action=edit&section=3&editintro=Template:BLP_editintro" title="Edit section: Business career" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">edit</a>]</h2>

<p style="margin: 0.5em 0px; line-height: 22.4px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Nolan decided not to run for reelection in 1980, and served as president of the U.S. Export Corporation until 1986, and was later appointed to and became president of the<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wells_Fargo_Place" title="Wells Fargo Place" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">Minnesota World Trade Center</a>, a private-public initiative, by then-Democratic Party chairman Governor <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rudy_Perpich" title="Rudy Perpich" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">Rudy Perpich</a> from 1987 to 1994.<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rick_Nolan#cite_note-congress1-4" style="text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap; background: none;">[4]</a><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rick_Nolan#cite_note-leg.state.mn.us-6" style="text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap; background: none;">[6]</a> The National Journal reported that "his Republican foes criticized his $70,000 salary, which they considered high for a civil servant at the time, and the budget deficits the company ran up." <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rick_Nolan#cite_note-nationaljournal-3" style="text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap; background: none;">[3]</a> He has also served as chairman of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mission_Township,Crow_Wing_County,Minnesota" title="Mission Township, Crow Wing County, Minnesota" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">Mission Township</a><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rick_Nolan#cite_note-9" style="text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap; background: none;">[9]</a> Planning Committee, president and board member of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Central_Lakes_College" title="Central Lakes College" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">Central Lakes College</a> foundation, to which he helped direct federal funding,<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rick_Nolan#cite_note-10" style="text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap; background: none;">[10]</a> and lecturer and volunteer for the Initiative Foundation on Serving in Public Office.[<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed" title="Wikipedia:Citation needed" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">citation needed</a>] Nolan is also the former owner of Emily Wood Products, a small sawmill and pallet factory in the northern Minnesota community of Emily.<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rick_Nolan#cite_note-nationaljournal-3" style="text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap; background: none;">[3]</a> Rick’s daughter and son-in-law now own and operate the enterprise.<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rick_Nolan#cite_note-11" style="text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap; background: none;">[11]</a>

<h2 style="font-weight: normal; margin: 1em 0px 0.25em; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(170, 170, 170); line-height: 1.3; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background: none rgb(255, 255, 255);">Return to politics<span class="mw-editsection" style="user-select: none; font-weight: normal; margin-left: 1em; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 1em; display: inline-block; white-space: nowrap; unicode-bidi: -webkit-isolate;">[<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Rick_Nolan&action=edit&section=4&editintro=Template:BLP_editintro" title="Edit section: Return to politics" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">edit</a>]</h2>

<h3 style="font-weight: bold; margin: 0.3em 0px 0px; overflow: hidden; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0px; border-bottom-style: none; line-height: 1.6; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background: none rgb(255, 255, 255);">2012 campaign for U.S. Congress<span class="mw-editsection" style="user-select: none; font-weight: normal; margin-left: 1em; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 1em; display: inline-block; white-space: nowrap; unicode-bidi: -webkit-isolate;">[<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Rick_Nolan&action=edit&section=5&editintro=Template:BLP_editintro" title="Edit section: 2012 campaign for U.S. Congress" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">edit</a>]</h3>

<div class="hatnote relarticle mainarticle" style="font-style: italic; padding-left: 1.6em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 22.4px; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Main article: <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_House_of_Representatives_elections_in_Minnesota,_2012#District_8" title="United States House of Representatives elections in Minnesota, 2012" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">United States House of Representatives elections in Minnesota, 2012 § District 8</a></div>

<h3 style="font-weight: bold; margin: 0.3em 0px 0px; overflow: hidden; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0px; border-bottom-style: none; line-height: 1.6; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background: none rgb(255, 255, 255);">2014 campaign for U.S. Congress<span class="mw-editsection" style="user-select: none; font-weight: normal; margin-left: 1em; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 1em; display: inline-block; white-space: nowrap; unicode-bidi: -webkit-isolate;">[<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Rick_Nolan&action=edit&section=6&editintro=Template:BLP_editintro" title="Edit section: 2014 campaign for U.S. Congress" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">edit</a>]</h3>

<div class="hatnote relarticle mainarticle" style="font-style: italic; padding-left: 1.6em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 22.4px; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Main article: <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_House_of_Representatives_elections_in_Minnesota,_2014#District_8" title="United States House of Representatives elections in Minnesota, 2014" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">United States House of Representatives elections in Minnesota, 2014 § District 8</a></div>

<h3 style="font-weight: bold; margin: 0.3em 0px 0px; overflow: hidden; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0px; border-bottom-style: none; line-height: 1.6; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background: none rgb(255, 255, 255);">Issues<span class="mw-editsection" style="user-select: none; font-weight: normal; margin-left: 1em; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 1em; display: inline-block; white-space: nowrap; unicode-bidi: -webkit-isolate;">[<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Rick_Nolan&action=edit&section=7&editintro=Template:BLP_editintro" title="Edit section: Issues" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">edit</a>]</h3>

<h4 style="font-weight: bold; margin: 0.3em 0px 0px; overflow: hidden; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0px; border-bottom-style: none; line-height: 22.4px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background: none rgb(255, 255, 255);">2nd Amendment<span class="mw-editsection" style="user-select: none; font-weight: normal; margin-left: 1em; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 1em; display: inline-block; white-space: nowrap; unicode-bidi: -webkit-isolate;">[<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Rick_Nolan&action=edit&section=8&editintro=Template:BLP_editintro" title="Edit section: 2nd Amendment" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">edit</a>]</h4>

<h4 style="font-weight: bold; margin: 0.3em 0px 0px; overflow: hidden; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0px; border-bottom-style: none; line-height: 22.4px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background: none rgb(255, 255, 255);">Pipelines<span class="mw-editsection" style="user-select: none; font-weight: normal; margin-left: 1em; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 1em; display: inline-block; white-space: nowrap; unicode-bidi: -webkit-isolate;">[<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Rick_Nolan&action=edit&section=9&editintro=Template:BLP_editintro" title="Edit section: Pipelines" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">edit</a>]</h4>

Nolan voted against an amendment requiring a study of the vulnerabilities of the Keystone XL pipeline to a terrorist attack and certification that necessary protections have been put in place.<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rick_Nolan#cite_note-22" style="text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap; background: none;">[22]</a>

<h4 style="font-weight: bold; margin: 0.3em 0px 0px; overflow: hidden; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0px; border-bottom-style: none; line-height: 22.4px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background: none rgb(255, 255, 255);">Taxes<span class="mw-editsection" style="user-select: none; font-weight: normal; margin-left: 1em; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 1em; display: inline-block; white-space: nowrap; unicode-bidi: -webkit-isolate;">[<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Rick_Nolan&action=edit&section=10&editintro=Template:BLP_editintro" title="Edit section: Taxes" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">edit</a>]</h4>

<h4 style="font-weight: bold; margin: 0.3em 0px 0px; overflow: hidden; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0px; border-bottom-style: none; line-height: 22.4px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background: none rgb(255, 255, 255);">Spending<span class="mw-editsection" style="user-select: none; font-weight: normal; margin-left: 1em; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 1em; display: inline-block; white-space: nowrap; unicode-bidi: -webkit-isolate;">[<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Rick_Nolan&action=edit&section=11&editintro=Template:BLP_editintro" title="Edit section: Spending" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">edit</a>]</h4>

<h4 style="font-weight: bold; margin: 0.3em 0px 0px; overflow: hidden; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0px; border-bottom-style: none; line-height: 22.4px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background: none rgb(255, 255, 255);">Health care<span class="mw-editsection" style="user-select: none; font-weight: normal; margin-left: 1em; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 1em; display: inline-block; white-space: nowrap; unicode-bidi: -webkit-isolate;">[<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Rick_Nolan&action=edit&section=12&editintro=Template:BLP_editintro" title="Edit section: Health care" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">edit</a>]</h4>

Nolan supports the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Affordable_Care_Act" title="Affordable Care Act" class="mw-redirect" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">Affordable Care Act</a> and said he would not vote to repeal it. Nolan said, "It ensures that another 30 million people in this country would have health insurance; it provides that nobody can be denied as a result of preconditions; it provides that parents can keep their children insured up to the age of 26."<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rick_Nolan#cite_note-health-26" style="text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap; background: none;">[26]</a>

<h4 style="font-weight: bold; margin: 0.3em 0px 0px; overflow: hidden; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0px; border-bottom-style: none; line-height: 22.4px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background: none rgb(255, 255, 255);">Veterans<span class="mw-editsection" style="user-select: none; font-weight: normal; margin-left: 1em; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 1em; display: inline-block; white-space: nowrap; unicode-bidi: -webkit-isolate;">[<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Rick_Nolan&action=edit&section=13&editintro=Template:BLP_editintro" title="Edit section: Veterans" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">edit</a>]</h4>

<h4 style="font-weight: bold; margin: 0.3em 0px 0px; overflow: hidden; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0px; border-bottom-style: none; line-height: 22.4px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background: none rgb(255, 255, 255);">Mining<span class="mw-editsection" style="user-select: none; font-weight: normal; margin-left: 1em; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 1em; display: inline-block; white-space: nowrap; unicode-bidi: -webkit-isolate;">[<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Rick_Nolan&action=edit&section=14&editintro=Template:BLP_editintro" title="Edit section: Mining" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">edit</a>]</h4>

<h4 style="font-weight: bold; margin: 0.3em 0px 0px; overflow: hidden; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0px; border-bottom-style: none; line-height: 22.4px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background: none rgb(255, 255, 255);">Abortion<span class="mw-editsection" style="user-select: none; font-weight: normal; margin-left: 1em; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 1em; display: inline-block; white-space: nowrap; unicode-bidi: -webkit-isolate;">[<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Rick_Nolan&action=edit&section=15&editintro=Template:BLP_editintro" title="Edit section: Abortion" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">edit</a>]</h4>

<h4 style="font-weight: bold; margin: 0.3em 0px 0px; overflow: hidden; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0px; border-bottom-style: none; line-height: 22.4px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background: none rgb(255, 255, 255);">"No Government, No Pay" Act<span class="mw-editsection" style="user-select: none; font-weight: normal; margin-left: 1em; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 1em; display: inline-block; white-space: nowrap; unicode-bidi: -webkit-isolate;">[<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Rick_Nolan&action=edit&section=16&editintro=Template:BLP_editintro" title="Edit section: " no="No" government="Government" pay="Pay" act="Act" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">edit</a>]</h4>

<h3 style="font-weight: bold; margin: 0.3em 0px 0px; overflow: hidden; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0px; border-bottom-style: none; line-height: 1.6; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background: none rgb(255, 255, 255);">113th Congress<span class="mw-editsection" style="user-select: none; font-weight: normal; margin-left: 1em; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 1em; display: inline-block; white-space: nowrap; unicode-bidi: -webkit-isolate;">[<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Rick_Nolan&action=edit&section=17&editintro=Template:BLP_editintro" title="Edit section: 113th Congress" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">edit</a>]</h3>

Rick Nolan sits on the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_House_Committee_on_Transportation_and_Infrastructure" title="United States House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">Transportation and Infrastructure Committee</a>, and four of its Subcommittees: (1) Highways and Transit; (2) Aviation; (3) Economic Development, Public Buildings and Emergency Management; and (4) Water Resources and the Environment.<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rick_Nolan#cite_note-nolan.house.gov-32" style="text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap; background: none;">[32]</a> He also serves on the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_House_Committee_on_Agriculture" title="United States House Committee on Agriculture" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">House Agriculture Committee</a> and two of its Subcommittees: (1) Conservation, Energy and Forestry, and (2) Livestock, Rural Development, and Credit.<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rick_Nolan#cite_note-nolan.house.gov-32" style="text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap; background: none;">[32]</a>

Nolan has previously served on the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/House_Small_Business_Committee" title="House Small Business Committee" class="mw-redirect" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">House Small Business Committee</a> and the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_House_Committee_on_Agriculture" title="United States House Committee on Agriculture" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">House Agriculture Committee</a>; his previous appointments would have earned him some Committee Seniority on these committees that he had already served on<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rick_Nolan#cite_note-33" style="text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap; background: none;">[33]</a> in the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/94th_United_States_Congress" title="94th United States Congress" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">94th</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/95th_United_States_Congress" title="95th United States Congress" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">95th</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/96th_United_States_Congress" title="96th United States Congress" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">96th</a> Congresses.<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rick_Nolan#cite_note-34" style="text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap; background: none;">[34]</a> Instead, Nolan will now have Committee Seniority on only the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_House_Committee_on_Agriculture" title="United States House Committee on Agriculture" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">House Agriculture Committee</a> and be a junior member of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_House_Committee_on_Transportation_and_Infrastructure" title="United States House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">Transportation and Infrastructure Committee</a>.

Nolan had been quoted as saying he would like to serve on "the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_House_Committee_on_Transportation_and_Infrastructure" title="United States House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">Transportation and Infrastructure</a> Committee, along with the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_House_Committee_on_Natural_Resources" title="United States House Committee on Natural Resources" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">Natural Resources</a> Committee, which hears legislation that directly affects the mining, forestry, agriculture and tourism-based economy of the Eighth Congressional District.".<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rick_Nolan#cite_note-35" style="text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap; background: none;">[35]</a><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rick_Nolan#cite_note-36" style="text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap; background: none;">[36]</a>

<h3 style="margin: 0.3em 0px 0px; line-height: 1.6; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; overflow: hidden; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0px; border-bottom-style: none; background: none rgb(255, 255, 255);">Electoral history<span class="mw-editsection" style="user-select: none; font-weight: normal; margin-left: 1em; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 1em; display: inline-block; white-space: nowrap; unicode-bidi: -webkit-isolate;">[<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Rick_Nolan&action=edit&section=18&editintro=Template:BLP_editintro" title="Edit section: Electoral history" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">edit</a>]</h3>

<span style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 15.5938px; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; display: inline !important; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">On February 14, <strong style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 15.5938px; outline: none; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">the <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://movetoamend.nationbuilder.com/r?u=https%3A%2F%2Fmovetoamend.org%2Freport-feb-11-we-people-amendment-press-conference&utm_campaign=2013_yr_end_hi2&n=6&e=58999a2c0d5c9d12d8d8b8a67a8964da157310ce&utm_source=movetoamend&utm_medium=email" style="text-decoration: underline; line-height: 1.2em; outline: none;">We the People Amendment</a> was introduced in Congress <span style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 15.5938px; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; display: inline !important; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">by Representative Rick Nolan (MN) and co-sponsored by Representative Mark Pocan (WI). This amendment is the only one that fully overrules the Citizens United decision by clearly stating that<strong style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 15.5938px; outline: none; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">corporations are not entitled to inherent rights under the Constitution<span style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 15.5938px; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; display: inline !important; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"> and that <strong style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 15.5938px; outline: none; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">money is not a form of protected political speech<span style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 15.5938px; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; display: inline !important; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">.

But emphasize that the Udall amendment (SJR19) is not adequate. It is defective for these reasons:  (pick your reasons from the above). An adequate amendment would say clearly and boldly that Corporations Are Not People, and that Money Is Not Speech.

Such an amendment has already been proposed: The “We The People Amendment”, <a rel="nofollow" target="blank" href="http://org2.salsalabs.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=VFYMrO9apsLsCzbJ0LBnykGJePisj3O%2F" style="line-height: 1.2em; outline: none;">HJR29</a>, introduced by Rep. Mark Pocan (D-WI). Please introduce this proposal into the Senate, add your name as a co-sponsor and promote it among your colleagues. (<a rel="nofollow" target="blank" href="http://org2.salsalabs.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=Ut%2FUtjtyL3%2FDxp753lY1W0GJePisj3O%2F" style="line-height: 1.2em; outline: none;">HJR29</a> is supported by <a rel="nofollow" target="blank" href="http://org2.salsalabs.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=mANIgLrAMaflyD6SWAS%2BrkGJePisj3O%2F" style="line-height: 1.2em; outline: none;">Alliance for Democracy</a> and our ally, <a rel="nofollow" target="blank" href="http://org2.salsalabs.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=gla4XRmZDZR09WGj9geT%2FUGJePisj3O%2F" style="line-height: 1.2em; outline: none;">Move to Amend</a>)

Because SJR19 has also been introduced in the House (<a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://org2.salsalabs.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=arafALJk9QII9R7wQcEYHUGJePisj3O%2F" style="line-height: 1.2em; outline: none;">HJR119</a>), call your US Representative as well with the same message.

<span style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 15.5938px; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; display: inline !important; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><span style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 15.5938px; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; display: inline !important; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">ANOMALY?<span style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 15.5938px; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; display: inline !important; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
<div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">=</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">war on wetlands?</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">In early July, 8th District Rep. Rick Nolan introduced <a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/house-bill/3115/text" target="blank" times="Times" new="New" roman="Roman" serif="serif" font-size="font-size" px="px" text-decoration-line="text-decoration-line" none="none" color="color" rgb="rgb" style="text-decoration-line: none; outline: none;">HR 3115</a>, a bill to force the completion of a highly controversial land exchange between the <a href="https://www.fs.fed.us/" target="blank" times="Times" new="New" roman="Roman" serif="serif" font-size="font-size" px="px" text-decoration-line="text-decoration-line" none="none" color="color" rgb="rgb" style="text-decoration-line: none; outline: none;">U.S. Forest Service</a> (USFS) and <a href="http://polymetmining.com/about/overview/" target="blank" times="Times" new="New" roman="Roman" serif="serif" font-size="font-size" px="px" color="color" rgb="rgb" style="text-decoration-line: none; outline: none;">PolyMet Mining Corp</a>.Nolan's bill <a href="http://www.startribune.com/nolan-touts-polymet-land-exchange-bill/434569953/" target="blank" times="Times" new="New" roman="Roman" serif="serif" font-size="font-size" px="px" text-decoration-line="text-decoration-line" none="none" color="color" rgb="rgb" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none;">would fast-track the land exchange</a>, requiring that it be completed within 90 days of the bill becoming law, even though no permits have yet been issued for the company's proposed NorthMet mine. The bill would give PolyMet 6,650 acres of protected Superior National Forest (SNF) and pave the way for construction of PolyMet's open-pit copper-nickel sulfide mine.</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div><p times="Times" new="New" roman="Roman" serif="serif" font-size="font-size" px="px" background-color="background-color" rgb="rgb" style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">PolyMet's sulfide mine would be the first ever to be permitted in the state. Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton has said that "this type of mining creates highly toxic sulfide waste."<p times="Times" new="New" roman="Roman" serif="serif" font-size="font-size" px="px" background-color="background-color" rgb="rgb" style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
Nolan's bill was introduced to override four separate <a href="https://www.minnpost.com/earth-journal/2017/04/three-new-cases-expand-challenges-land-exchange-polymet-project" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; outline: none;">legal actions by environmental groups </a>and affected citizens who are challenging the land exchange in court. Political leaders have continually assured the public that we can rely on PolyMet's environmental review process and that PolyMet would only be permitted if it would not harm the water and environment. But as soon as legal challenges appeared to have merit, Nolan authored a bill to prevent those suits from going forward.The federal lands at risk are a combination of forested wetlands, public waters, and critical wildlife habitat. At least 1,000 acres of irreplaceable wetlands would be destroyed and up to 8,000 acres impaired by the mining. These wild and remote lands contain Aquatic Resources of National Importance (ARNI), an ecosystem that is designated as "imperiled-vulnerable" in Minnesota, and an area most of which is rated as of "high biodiversity significance" by the Minnesota Biological Survey. The mine would also destroy critical habitat for Canada lynx and gray wolf, creating toxic sulfide mine waste, enormous waste rock stockpiles, roads and other mining infrastructure. Most of the damage would be permanent. According to Marc Fink, senior attorney for the <a href="http://www.biologicaldiversity.org/" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none;">Center for Biological Diversity</a>, “This bill is a blatant end run around current laws to hand Superior National Forest land over to a mining corporation. It should be stopped in its tracks.”<p times="Times" new="New" roman="Roman" serif="serif" font-size="font-size" px="px" background-color="background-color" rgb="rgb" style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">By moving to bypass the judicial process, Nolan is denying his own constituents, as well as the citizens of his state and nation, due process under the law. Impacted citizens and groups have the legal right to challenge federal agency decisions under numerous laws, including the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).<p times="Times" new="New" roman="Roman" serif="serif" font-size="font-size" px="px" background-color="background-color" rgb="rgb" style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">NEPA, signed into law in 1970, is referred to as the "environmental Magna Carta." NEPA requires governmental agencies to assess the environmental and related effects of proposed actions through the preparation of environmental impact statements. Enforcement of the NEPA process is by a citizen suit provision, meaning any citizen can bring a lawsuit against the responsible federal agency for violation of NEPA. Nolan's version of environmental review eliminates the right of citizens to question or challenge a federal regulatory decision. <h4 style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.15em; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">The value of public land</h4><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div>HR 3115 would override the NEPA process, the Administrative Procedures Act (APA), the Weeks Act, the Endangered Species Act, and other legislation that allows for public recourse as part of environmental review and protections. Of significant concern is that the public land of Superior National Forest belongs to the citizens of the United States and was set aside for their use and enjoyment, as well as watershed protection, now and into the future. Yet public interests are forgotten in Nolan's legislative initiative, while foreign mining companies — Canadian PolyMet and Swiss multinational conglomerate Glencore — will reap the benefits, destroying our land for future use and poisoning our water. Kevin Lee, staff attorney at the <a href="http://www.mncenter.org/" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none;">Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy</a> (MCEA), stated, "Rep. Nolan's bill is a giveaway of public land, plain and simple. It is a windfall for PolyMet and a swindle of public land users who use public land for hunting, fishing, and recreation."The land sought by PolyMet for its proposed open pits was originally purchased by the USFS under the Weeks Act of 1911 for the purpose of protecting the rivers and streams of the headwaters of Lake Superior, an internationally important watershed. Open-pit copper mining is not allowed on the Superior National Forest under the Weeks Act. Rather than saying 'no' as dictated by law, and protecting the irreplaceable natural resources of the Forest, the USFS agreed to trade public land to PolyMet for its mine. Both our federal agencies and our politicians are eroding away our citizen rights in favor of corporations.<p times="Times" new="New" roman="Roman" serif="serif" font-size="font-size" px="px" background-color="background-color" rgb="rgb" style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Lori Andresen of the northern Minnesota-based group <a href="http://www.sosbluewaters.org/" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none;">Save Our Sky Blue Waters</a> states, “In authoring a bill to fast-track PolyMet’s destructive mine on protected public lands, Rep. Nolan is endorsing an extremely dangerous practice. Rep. Nolan undermines our democracy by placing corporate special interests ahead of the public interest by attempting to subvert current laws and legislate away due process and the constitutionally created right to have one’s day in court. Nolan’s political intervention for a foreign mining company demonstrates that the laws and environmental protections of our nation don’t apply equally to powerful multinational corporations and affected citizens." <p times="Times" new="New" roman="Roman" serif="serif" font-size="font-size" px="px" background-color="background-color" rgb="rgb" style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Nolan is concurrently lobbying the Trump administration to reverse course on the Obama administration's denial of federal mineral leases for the Twin Metals sulfide mine near Ely and the Boundary Waters. The Twin Metals mine could be jump-started through federal legislation, similar to what Nolan is trying with the PolyMet bill.<h4 style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.15em; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Environmental injustice for those downstream</h4>Our politicians and corporate-controlled agencies are playing roulette with our water and our people, pitting promised mining jobs against those who live downstream, against those who value and need water as a precious natural resource in its own right, and those who wish to protect future generations from tailings basin disasters, water pollution, and cleanup costs. The largest human population in northeast Minnesota lives downstream of the proposed PolyMet mine and tailings basin. This includes the Fond du Lac Indian Reservation, as well as the cities of Cloquet and Duluth (and Superior, Wisconsin).<p times="Times" new="New" roman="Roman" serif="serif" font-size="font-size" px="px" background-color="background-color" rgb="rgb" style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">The major tailings basin disasters of Canada's <a href="https://www.minnpost.com/earth-journal/2015/02/canadas-worst-mine-disaster-grew-dam-built-wrong-place" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none;">Mount Polley in 2014</a> and <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/brazils-samarco-dam-breach-catastophe-mining-giant-bhp-billiton-and-vale-update-2015-11" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none;">Brazil's Samarco in 2015</a>, whose toxic waste flowed over 400 miles downstream, clearly demonstrate that large-scale mine dam failures are not only possible, but likely. This is especially true when dealing with the large amounts of waste rock resulting when mining massive low-grade deposits — in PolyMet's case, less than 1 percent mineralization, meaning 99 percent waste rock. PolyMet's own environmental impact statement concedes that water from PolyMet's mine site would need to be treated for at least 200 years after closure, and the plant site for 500 years. PolyMet could have been stopped on this issue alone. The fact that the project is in the permitting stage is clear evidence of political and regulatory capture by mining interests.<h4 style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.15em; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Corporate vs. citizen power</h4>Nolan is willing to take away citizen rights while leaving behind a legacy of destruction of the land and pollution of the water for all future generations. The next question is this: Will Sens. Amy Klobuchar and Al Franken and others support Nolan's actions? In February 2017, a Minnesota Environmental Partnership (MEP) statewide poll showed that <a href="https://www.mepartnership.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/Public_Mining-Polling-results.pdf%20" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; outline: none;">74 percent of those polled opposed the PolyMet mine</a> [PDF]. <p times="Times" new="New" roman="Roman" serif="serif" font-size="font-size" px="px" background-color="background-color" rgb="rgb" style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Call your members of Congress now to let them know you oppose H.R. 3115, asking them to withdraw any support of the bill. You can look up contact information <a href="https://www.govtrack.us/congress/members" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none;">here</a>. <a href="http://mn.gov/governor/contact-us/form/" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none;">Contact Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton</a> and let him know that you oppose PolyMet's sulfide mine. All of Minnesota's waters deserve protection from highly toxic sulfide mining, including the Lake Superior, Mississippi River and Rainy River watersheds. For more information <a href="http://www.sosbluewaters.org/" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none;">go here</a>.<p times="Times" new="New" roman="Roman" serif="serif" font-size="font-size" px="px" background-color="background-color" rgb="rgb" style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Elanne Palcich, a retired elementary school teacher, lives in Chisholm, Minnesota. <div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
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