Hawley: Biden's Interior Secretary Said There Are 1.9 Jobs for Every American - 'I Just Think That Is Outrageous' (May 11, 2023)

Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., asked the head of the AFL-CIO a question he hoped was rhetorical. “Do you think that we have too many good-paying union jobs in this country, too many good-paying blue-collar jobs?” he asked Liz Shuler at a Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee hearing on permitting reform [1].

“I think that is rhetorical, right?” Shuler answered. “You never have too many good-paying union jobs.” [1]

Hawley explained why he asked. “When I raised this issue, specifically as it relates to opening up more mines in this country with our protections, creating more good-paying jobs in this country, the Secretary of the Interior told me last month—she pointed out to me that, well, there are 1.9 jobs for every American in the country, so there are a lot of jobs,” he said [1].

“And right now, you know, we’ve got too many jobs. I just think that that is outrageous. I just think it’s totally outrageous,” Hawley said [1].

The video above shows the exchange at the May 11, 2023, hearing. Quotes are from the official hearing record, Senate Hearing 118-281, and Fox News [1][2].

“1.9 Jobs for Every American”

Hawley had clashed with Interior Secretary Deb Haaland at a May 2 hearing of the same committee. He pressed her on her decision to ban mining across 225,504 acres near Duluth, Minnesota, Fox News reported [2].

“Senator, I know that there’s like 1.9 jobs for every American in the country right now. So, I know there’s a lot of jobs,” Haaland told him, according to Fox [2].

“Wait a minute. … You’re telling me we’ve got too many jobs in the country?” Hawley asked. “Well, I’m saying that we don’t have enough people,” Haaland said. “That’s why we are having a hard time finding folks to work at our department.” [2]

Fox News checked the claim against the government’s own numbers. “According to the latest data released Tuesday by the Department of Labor, the U.S. has roughly 9.6 million job openings. The figure translates to about 0.6 unemployed persons per job opening,” Fox reported [2].

“They are blue-collar workers. And you’re sitting here and telling me that we have too many jobs in this country. Are you serious?” Hawley said [2].

Hawley said it might be “the most unbelievable statement I have heard from a member of this administration.” [2]

The mine at stake was big. “The Twin Metals mining project contained about 88% of the nation’s cobalt reserves in addition to vast copper, nickel and platinum-group elements,” Fox reported. A labor agreement for the mine “promised 750 direct full-time jobs and 1,500 spinoff jobs” [2].

”Modern Day Slavery”

At the May 11 hearing, Hawley compared American mines with those overseas. “It has been recently reported that about 40,000 children are working in the mines in the southern Democratic Republic of the Congo. A recent NPR article called those labor conditions ‘modern day slavery,’” he said [1].

“Yes, and that is why we need a more robust domestic supply chain,” Shuler said. “You have made my point for me. I could not agree with you more,” Hawley answered [1].

“I don’t understand this Administration’s decision to sign an agreement just last month to fund critical mining projects in the Congo while at the same time they are denying permits for domestic mining here in this country,” he said [1].

”Not Just Be Ramrodded”

Hawley also took on a wind-power transmission line across Missouri, the Grain Belt Express. “Do you think that states ought to have the authority in transmission projects like this to review and grant approval or not?” he asked Jason Grumet of the American Clean Power Association [1].

“I think it’s vital that we allow state agencies that are responsive to farmers and ranchers in the state to be able to review and have a say in this process and not just be ramrodded and railroaded,” Hawley said [1].

By the Numbers

• 1.9: jobs per American, Haaland’s figure [2].
• 0.6: unemployed persons per job opening, per the Labor Department data Fox cited [2].
• 225,504 acres: the Minnesota land Haaland closed to mining [2].
• 40,000: children Hawley said were reported working in Congo’s mines [1].
• 750: direct full-time jobs promised at the Twin Metals mine, per Fox [2].

What Happened Next

Trump ordered more American mining. On March 20, 2025, President Donald Trump signed Executive Order 14241, “Immediate Measures To Increase American Mineral Production.” “The United States possesses vast mineral resources that can create jobs, fuel prosperity, and significantly reduce our reliance on foreign nations,” the order says [3].

“The United States was once the world’s largest producer of lucrative minerals, but overbearing Federal regulation has eroded our Nation’s mineral production,” it says [3].

Under the order, “The Secretary of the Interior will prioritize mineral production activities over other types of activities on Federal lands that hold critical mineral deposits,” the White House said [4].

For Hawley at a FERC hearing a week earlier, see HYGO News’ page on FERC’s Clements.

Sources

1. GovInfo: Opportunities for Congress to Reform the Permitting Process for Energy and Mineral Projects, Senate Hearing 118-281, Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee (May 11, 2023)
2. Fox News: Top Biden official suggests there are too many jobs while defending climate agenda in tense exchange (May 2, 2023)
3. The American Presidency Project: Executive Order 14241—Immediate Measures To Increase American Mineral Production (March 20, 2025)
4. The American Presidency Project: White House Fact Sheet: President Donald J. Trump Takes Immediate Action to Increase American Mineral Production (March 20, 2025)