Ely’s Rom participates in Minnesota Day at the White House

THE WHITE HOUSE— The Boundary Waters received a call-out at the White House last week as part of the Minnesota Day event that highlighted some of the Biden administration’s policies and investments that were impacting residents in the state.
Ely resident Becky Rom, national chair of the Campaign to Save the Boundary Waters, was one of about 50 Minnesotans invited to the event, which heard from a number of top officials in the Biden White House about their efforts to implement some of the major new spending bills and policies enacted in the first two years of the administration.
Rom, who has spent considerable time in Washington in recent years lobbying on behalf of the campaign, said she was “blown away” when Brenda Mallory, chair of the President’s Council on Environmental Quality, led off her remarks to the group with a discussion of the administration’s recent decision to implement a 20-year mineral withdrawal affecting about 225,000 acres of the Superior National Forest.
Mallory addressed the decision head on, according to Rom, touting the Biden administration’s pro-labor record, and noting that President Biden is seeking to balance economic growth and environmental protection. She cited the mineral withdrawal as an example of the balance the administration is seeking to achieve. “She said the administration is striving to maximize job creation, while not sacrificing special places like the Boundary Waters,” said Rom.
According to Rom, Mallory took note of the outdoor-oriented “wilderness edge” economy that has developed in places like Ely and Grand Marais, and said the decision to prohibit new sulfide-based mining in the upper reaches of the Rainy River watershed had “lifted a dark cloud” that had hung over the futures of local businesses that cater to wilderness enthusiasts.
The Minnesota Day event brought together dozens of elected officials, union representatives and leaders of nonprofit advocacy groups to talk about the administration’s work to administer new laws, including the Inflation Reduction Act, the Bipartisan Infrastructure and Jobs Act, and the American Rescue Plan, all of which are pumping hundreds of billions of dollars annually into the U.S. economy. Dennis McDonough, a Minnesotan who served as chief of staff for a time in the Obama administration, now serves as Secretary of Veterans Affairs, was among those speaking at the event. McDonough discussed the administration’s efforts to reduce homelessness among veterans and he talked about making services available more quickly.
He also talked about suicide prevention, particularly among veterans, and he noted that red flag laws, which are designed to temporarily restrict access to guns by people experiencing mental or emotional instability, are needed as part of the effort to reduce suicides.
The event was part of a series of such events which will eventually highlight all 50 states and the steps the administration is taking to improve the lives of Americans.
While the events are designed to promote newly-enacted policies and spending, Rom said the event didn’t have a partisan feel. She said the speakers often related personal stories and were rich with detailed information.
“I don’t think it was partisan,” said Rom. “There were Republicans in the room.”
Rom was among three Minnesota environmental leaders invited to the event. Other participants from the region include St. Louis County Commissioner Keith Musolf of Duluth.