WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Gary Peters (MI), Chairman of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, introduced bipartisan legislation to direct the Department of Defense (DOD) to identify ways to reduce our nation’s reliance on China, Russia, and other adversarial nations for critical minerals. China controls a significant portion of the world’s critical mineral mining and processing, making the U.S. reliant on China for key minerals to manufacture military equipment and other products needed to protect national security. This has created serious national security risks and economic implications. Peters’ bill would strengthen our national security and promote U.S. independence from China and other adversarial nations by ensuring DOD has a strategy to onshore the critical mineral supply chain and expand our domestic processing capabilities.
“The Department of Defense should not be dependent on foreign adversaries like China for resources needed to make equipment and ammunition that are essential to our combat readiness and warfare capabilities,” said Senator Peters. “This bipartisan effort will help protect our national and economic security, strengthen our critical mineral supply chains, and ensure our military can procure the tools they need to defend our country.”
The bipartisan Critical Mineral Independence Act requires the DOD to craft a strategy to reduce our nation’s dependency on the foreign critical mineral supply chain. The legislation would also require the DOD to recommend changes to laws, regulations, and policies that would help promote supply chain independence from nations with adversarial governments like China and Russia. This bill would also work to expand domestic processing of critical minerals and promote engagement with international allies and partners to reduce global critical mineral dependencies.
In addition to introducing this legislation, Peters’ bill to require the creation of an intergovernmental task force to identify opportunities to increase domestic production and recycling of critical minerals has also advanced in the Senate.
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