McMorris Rodgers, Westerman Lead Legislation Strengthening American Supply Chains

Washington, D.C. – Eastern Washington Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers (WA-05) and Congressman Bruce Westerman (AR-04) today introduced the Securing America’s Mineral Supply Chains Act.

“To win the future and flip the switch on American energy production, we must reduce our critical mineral dependence on adversaries like the Chinese Communist Party and Russia. It’s essential to our energy and national security. Permitting reform is the single biggest issue impacting mining and manufacturing in America,” Rodgers said. “That’s why I’m leading with Ranking Member Bruce Westerman and my Republican colleagues on Energy and Commerce on the Securing American Mineral Supply Chains Act. It will streamline the permitting process for mining on federal lands and authorize national security waivers to expedite permitting of mineral processing and refining facilities here at home. It will also establish a strategic reserve of uranium and reduce our dependence on Russia, as well as direct the Department of Energy to counter China’s dominance in the critical energy resource supply chain and strategically boost America’s domestic production and refining capacity.”

Hardrock mining projects across the country – vital to supplying the U.S. and our allies with minerals like copper, cobalt, and lithium – are repeatedly blocked, caught in endless red tape. Hardrock minerals are irreplaceable components in computers, defense systems, renewable energy technologies, and dozens of applications.

“Hardrock minerals are used in so many of our everyday items that our economy is intrinsically bound to mining,” Westerman said. “Given that reality, the question now becomes what are we doing to secure our supply chains to prevent any disruptions? If you ask the Biden administration, the answer is ‘nothing.’ While Democrats are singularly focused on shuttering every domestic mine in sight, they are content to sell out to China, Russia, and other foreign adversaries instead. These America-last policies are barreling the U.S. straight toward a national security crisis. Our legislation would immediately reverse course by moving supply chains away from China, prioritizing sustainable development of the minerals we already have right here at home, streamlining outdated permitting processes, innovating throughout the sector, supporting domestic refining and processing and more. China doesn’t own us, and it’s time to prove that by ending our dependence on them for good.”

In order to meet this skyrocketing demand and enhance America’s economic competitiveness, the Securing America’s Mineral Supply Chains Act would:

• Designate a lead federal agency to coordinate the mine permitting process to maximize efficiency and minimize delays for mining projects on federal land.
• Set time limits for key steps in the federal permitting process.
• Prohibit mineral withdrawals on federal lands without a recent mineral assessment or a certification that a proposed withdrawal would not impede a secure U.S. supply chain. 
• Prohibit the reversal of existing leases, permits, or claims for critical mineral or aggregate development without an act of Congress. 
• Strengthen national security by requiring USGS to report to Congress on the involvement of the Russian Federation and the People’s Republic of China in mining and processing in countries from which the U.S. imports minerals, including an evaluation of strategic or security concerns due to such involvement.
• Strengthen national and energy security by authorizing the Environmental Protection Agency to grant waivers, as appropriate, for certain environmental requirements to critical energy resource facilities.
• Unlock permitting delays for and promote commercialization of new critical energy resource facilities and operations by facilitating timely and flexible environmental permitting and public health related reviews.

CLICK HERE to read a full section-by-section breakdown.

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