Legislators Call for Urgent Action on Critical Minerals

Three legislators yesterday blasted the outdated policies and excessive red tape hindering domestic minerals mining and threatening economic growth, global competitiveness and national security.

Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, and Reps. Mike Coffman and Doug Lamborn, both R-Colo., called for decisive policies to reform our nation’s approach to minerals acquisition, at the Rare Earths, Critical Metals, and National Security conference sponsored by the National Center for Policy Analysis in Washington, D.C.

The legislators stressed that difficulty accessing U.S. rare earth resources leaves us dependent upon an unreliable and easily manipulated supply of the minerals from China for use in weaponry key to American military efforts. This pressing issue was raised in a recent hearing before the House Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific, which explored the effects of China’s rare earths monopoly on U.S. security and foreign policy.

But, as noted by Murkowski, “there are rays of hope.” Bills sponsored by the three legislators that could increase U.S. minerals mining have already found bipartisan support in Congress. The legislators predict that, if passed, their measures would not only increase national security, but further boost job growth in a sector that has consistently added jobs over the past year.