Fedorchak supports measure to strengthen domestic sourcing of critical minerals

Washington, D.C. - Congresswoman Julie Fedorchak (R-ND) today voted in favor of the Securing America's Critical Minerals Supply Act, legislation to strengthen domestic sourcing of critical minerals and reduce reliance on foreign adversaries. The bill redefines "critical energy resource," and requires the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to continuously assess the security and availability of minerals and incorporate supply-chain risks into federal energy planning.

"Advanced manufacturing and Artificial Intelligence depend on secure supply chains. When we depend on unstable or adversarial sources for critical minerals, our ability to build, innovate, and compete on the world stage is at risk," Fedorchak said. "This legislation identifies supply-chain vulnerabilities and prioritizes domestic production."

Despite vast domestic natural resources, the United States remains heavily reliant on foreign adversaries for critical energy resources that are essential to our economic and national security:

• The U.S. is 100 percent reliant on imports for 12 critical minerals and 50 percent import reliant on an additional 28 critical minerals.

• China maintains 60 percent of the world's production of rare earth elements and 90 percent of their global processing capacity.

In recent years, adversarial nations like China have sought to exploit U.S. vulnerabilities, issuing export bans on key minerals, materials, and resources that are essential to both our manufacturing and defense industry.

The Securing America's Critical Minerals Supply Act:

• Redefines the term "critical energy resource" to any energy resource that is essential to the energy sector and energy systems of the United States and the supply chain of which is vulnerable to disruption.

• Amends the Department of Energy Organization Act to require the Secretary of Energy to conduct an ongoing assessment of the nation's supply of critical energy resources, the vulnerability of the critical energy resource supply chains, and the energy security considerations of critical energy resources in the development of energy technologies.

• Directs the Secretary to strengthen critical energy resource supply chains by diversifying sourcing and increasing domestic production, refining, and processing of resources.

###