The national monument will protect lands important to a dozen Native American tribes, in part, from potential uranium mining. It will also help tell the “full American story” of the people who have called the region home for millennia, Biden said during his speech.
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But the national monument designation has already been criticized by House Republicans who have called for a probe for information on how the monument boundaries were selected and how it will affect mining and energy development. They’ve argued it will block new uranium mining at a time when the U.S. should be looking to become more energy independent, especially given the prominence of Russia in the market to provide low-enriched uranium to nuclear reactors.