Statement by Vice President Joe Biden on the Grand Canyon

The Grand Canyon is first among the landmarks of our nation — holy to the Tribes who preserve it and call it home, and sacred to all Americans. This national treasure attracts millions of visitors each year, supporting thousands of jobs for Arizonans and contributing more than $1 billion to the state economy. But where virtually every American sees an irreplaceable jewel, Donald Trump sees yet another opportunity to fracture something inviolable for profit. By opening the door to mining companies to extract uranium from the Grand Canyon, Trump is threatening to deface the natural splendor of our nation, poison the land and water relied on by local communities, and drive a drill into the heart of one of Arizona's cultural and economic cornerstones. Already, the federal government is cleaning up uranium contamination in Navajo Nation and studying its potential impact on health concerns ranging from kidney illness to cancer. Once again, Donald Trump is proving that there is nothing in America that is sacred to him.

Any suggestion that we cannot create jobs or increase our energy competitiveness without spoiling historically, environmentally, and culturally significant public lands is false and disgraceful. As Vice President, I helped oversee record job growth and a dramatic reduction in America's reliance on foreign energy sources — including by implementing the largest clean energy investments in our nation's history — while protecting and bolstering our public lands and the local economies they support. As President, I will further that work by rebuilding our depleted economy around modern infrastructure and an equitable clean energy future. It's a plan that will create millions of well-paying union jobs and revitalize our communities without jeopardizing the places we hold dear.

If Donald Trump chooses to tarnish America's foremost natural wonder, then there is truly no line he is unwilling to cross. Americans must come together to preserve our sacred spaces, build a new economy grounded in dignity and respect, and put an end to Donald Trump's defacement of our nation.