B20
CONCURRENT RESOLUTIONS-SEPT. 10, 1959
[73 S T A T.
Whereas mining and the extraction of minerals from Federal, State, and privately owned lands situated within the United States and its Territories and possessions are basic industries upon which the transporting, processing, and distributing industries and the consumers of the Nation depend; and Whereas the interests of national security have brought about Government programs for the establishment and maintenance of national stockpiles of strategically important metals and minerals and for the development of mine and plant capacities for the production thereof; and Whereas the administration of these and related programs, through Government purchases, contracts, loans, grants, technical assistance, barter, and other means, has resulted in the abnormal and artificial stimulation of foreign metal and mineral exploration and development and the expansion of foreign capacities for the production of metals and minerals; and Whereas increased foreign production of certain metals and minerals, together with downward revision of national stockpile requirements, has resulted in depressed domestic prices for these materials, drastic curtailment of domestic production, economic disaster to individual firms, hardships for dependent industries, extensive unemployment, and severe contraction of business in the affected communities; and Whereas an emergency exists since further delays in the recovery of the domestic mining and mineral industries would cause irreparable damage to mining and mineral properties, wastage of human and natural resources, and loss of productive capacity, and would have a depressing effect upon the national economy and threaten national security; and Whereas all governmental efforts to date have not been effective in alleviating these detrimental effects: Now, therefore, be it Resolved by the House of Representatives {the Senate concurring)^ That the President is requested— (a) to have reviews made at once of the existing programs of the departments and agencies of the executive branch with the purpose of using them more effectively to provide for increased production and employment in critically depressed domestic mining and mineral industries; (b) to advise the Congress at the earliest possible date as to the actions taken or proposed to be taken to this end; and (c) to submit any reorganization plans or recommendations for legislation that may be necessary to accomplish this objective. SEC. 2. I t is the sense of the Congress that it is in the national interest to foster and encourage (a) the maintenance and development of a sound and stable domestic mining and minerals industry; (b) the orderly discovery and development of domestic mineral resources and reserves on Federal, State, and privately owned lands; and (c) mining, mineral, metallurgical, and marketing research to promote the wise and efficient uses of domestic metal and mineral resources. SEC. 3. I t is the sense of the Congress that the maintenance and development of a sound and stable domestic mining and minerals industry, without critical dependence upon foreign sources, is essential to national security and the welfare of the consuming public, and that this objective is independent of and cannot be accomplished by the maintenance of national stockpiles for planned defense needs in a single emergency or the existence of productive capacity based upon the importation of foreign materials. P a s s e d September 10, 1959.
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