House Republicans tell Biden to prioritize domestic minerals to end China reliance

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Energy and Environment
House Republicans tell Biden to prioritize domestic minerals to end China reliance
Energy and Environment
House Republicans tell Biden to prioritize domestic minerals to end China reliance

House Republicans called on the Biden administration to prioritize domestic critical mineral supply chains rather than rely on foreign countries such as China to meet the soaring demand driven by clean energy goals.

Rep. August Pfluger (R-TX), a member of the
House Energy and Commerce
subcommittee on energy, climate, and grid security, joined
House Oversight Committee
Chairman James Comer (R-KY) and House Committee on Natural Resources Chairman Bruce Westerman (R-AR) in asking the administration to prioritize domestic minerals production rather than turning to foreign countries to build out supply chains.


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The lawmakers took aim at the State Department’s Minerals Security Partnership, or MSP. The MSP was established last year between the U.S. and 10 countries and the European Commission and is currently evaluating 16 overseas mining, refining, and recycling projects.

Reps. Pfluger, Westerman, and Comer also requested a briefing on the Minerals Security Partnership, citing what they said has been insufficient information from the administration regarding the goals and strategy of the initiative.

“The U.S. is home to world-class reserves of minerals essential to our economic and national security, yet our dependence on mineral imports and foreign processing is reaching alarming levels,” the lawmakers said in the letter to the administration, first reported by the Washington Examiner.

Tom Emmer, August Pfluger
Rep. August Pfluger.
(AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)

“This is a vulnerability the administration is deepening. With projected mineral demand soaring, it’s imperative we prioritize addressing the self-imposed barriers to building domestic mineral supply chains before supporting mineral projects abroad,” they added.

The Inflation Reduction Act passed by Democrats last year includes hundreds of billions of dollars in subsidies expected to drive up demand for critical minerals massively.

It also includes strict battery sourcing requirements for electric vehicles manufactured in the U.S. In order to be eligible for a $7,500 tax credit, automakers are required to source 40% of their critical minerals used in electric vehicle battery production from the U.S. or countries that have a free trade agreement with the U.S. beginning in March. (That amount increases to 80% after 2026.)

In 2021, President Joe Biden also set a goal of reducing emissions by 50%-52% of 2005 levels by 2030, increasing pressure for the U.S. to produce or source more critical minerals.

China is the dominant player in global critical minerals processing and controls most of the market for refining cobalt, lithium, rare earth minerals, and other critical minerals.


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“The Biden Administration has failed over and over to prioritize made-in-America energy — making us more dependent on our adversaries than ever before,” Pfluger told the Washington Examiner. “Republicans will not allow the Administration to boost foreign sources of critical minerals instead of working to build our domestic energy capacity.”

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