WASHINGTON, D.C. — Congressman Russ Fulcher (ID-01), Congressman Brett Guthrie (KY-02), and Congressman Dan Newhouse (WA-04) released the following statements after introducing the Securing America’s Midstream Critical Materials Processing Act, which will establish a National Roadmap to provide a pathway to reshore domestic critical material processing facilities away from foreign adversaries like the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and reduce unworkable permitting barriers to help secure our supply chains. Midstream critical material processors are essential to America’s manufacturing and energy future:
“Critical minerals are not only vital to America’s energy supply, but to our national security as they are a key component for defense technologies and weaponry. I am proud to introduce this bill alongside Congressman Guthrie and Newhouse to establish a national roadmap to bring the development and processing of key minerals back to the USA. Securing America’s energy independence starts with securing our critical minerals supply chain,” said Congressman Fulcher.
“Today I was proud to introduce the Securing America’s Midstream Critical Materials Processing Act alongside Congressmen Newhouse and Fulcher to help ensure America has control over its manufacturing and energy future. For too long our nation has been reliant on the CCP and other foreign adversaries for the essential facilities to process critical materials into usable resources for our manufacturing industry. This bill will help provide a pathway to reshoring the processing of critical materials and uncovers the extent to which the CCP has exploited this supply chain. If our nation is to become energy independent once again, secure our supply chains, and reshore job creating industries then we must produce and process our critical materials here at home, I am proud to be leading this bill that will help accomplish this,” said Congressman Guthrie.
“It is no secret the United States is in a dangerous position with our reliance on adversaries like the CCP for the critical minerals we use in everything from our energy sector to our defense industrial base. This bill is a big step towards bringing critical mineral processing back to our shores and keeping bad actors out of our supply chains. As a member of the House Select Committee on the CCP, I know we as lawmakers need to be doing all we can to prioritize national security before it is too late.” said Congressman Newhouse.
Background:
The Securing America’s Midstream Critical Material Processing Act will establish a Dept. of Energy led National Roadmap to reshore domestic critical material processing industry, which will include a comprehensive review of:
- Current landscape of domestic and global markets for midstream critical material processing
- The extent to which China and other adversaries employ anti-competitive practices to manipulate critical material markets
- Opportunities and barriers to reshoring domestic industries, including working alongside allied nations
- Permitting challenges facing a domestic critical material processing industry
This bill requires a Government Accountability Office (GAO) study on how to improve federal permitting to incentivize more investment including:
- How the Inflation Reduction Act may have fueled Chinese greenfield investment in Free Trade Agreement countries
- How EPA regulations and litigation raise costs on facilities
- Ways to improve federal collaboration and coordination to leverage expertise in critical material processing
