Hickenlooper, Tillis, Rosen, Sheehy, Cramer, Lee, Fulcher Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Establish National Critical Minerals Council, Federal Strategy on Critical Minerals

U.S. is 100% reliant on imports for 16 critical minerals WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senators John Hickenlooper, Thom Tillis, Jacky Rosen, Tim Sheehy, and Kevin Cramer, along with Representatives Susie Lee and Russ Fulcher, introduced the bipartisan National Critical Minerals Council Act , which would establish a National Critical Minerals Council to develop and implement a national strategy on critical minerals and build reliable supply chains at home and abroad. Critical minerals power our modern way of life, including vehicles, smartphones, defense systems, medical equipment, AI and clean energy. Yet, China dominates the market, processing or refining about 70% of the world’s critical minerals. The U.S. is fully reliant on imports for 16 critical minerals. Given the scale of the challenge, our federal response remains fragmented, with more than 15 federal agencies and departments working on critical minerals issues. Absent a unified effort, the U.S. risks falling behind in securing the minerals essential to our competitiveness and leadership in energy security and national defense. “China doesn’t need to fire a shot. It just needs to stop a shipment,” said Hickenlooper. “We need a national strategy on critical minerals now. Otherwise, Beijing decides who gets the supply — and who doesn’t.” “The United States can no longer afford to take a piecemeal approach to address our critical minerals needs,” said Tillis . “I am proud to reintroduce this bipartisan legislation to establish a comprehensive and unified strategy to secure the minerals that are essential to our national security and economic stability.” “As the world races to acquire and leverage the critical minerals that power the modern economy, the United States needs an efficient and effective plan to secure these important resources,” said Rosen . “I am proud to help introduce this bipartisan bill to ensure the United States has the infrastructure it needs to secure critical minerals and remain at the forefront of modern development.” “It’s common sense: we cannot continue to rely on adversaries like China, which dominates the world’s critical minerals processing, for our critical mineral needs because it puts America’s national security at risk and threatens our competitive edge,” said Sheehy. “This crucial legislation reduces our dependence on others and bolsters America’s critical mineral supply chains by centralizing federal coordination, strategy, and research, making our nation more secure and self-reliant. I’m proud to cosponsor this legislation as we work to ensure America’s needs can be securely met.” “We cannot afford to become more dependent on other countries for the critical minerals needed to power our economy and strengthen our national security,” said Cramer. “Our bill establishes a National Critical Minerals Council to unite all federal investment, research, and development on critical minerals under a single national strategy. The demand for critical minerals is growing every single day, and we need to seize every opportunity to jumpstart domestic production.” “Critical minerals are used in everything from our phones to solar panels and aircraft used by the Department of Defense. It’s essential we develop our domestic critical mineral supply chains and reduce our dependence on foreign countries for rare earths,” said Lee. “That’s why I’m proud to join my colleagues in introducing the bipartisan, bicameral National Critical Minerals Council Act. This commonsense legislation will ensure the United States continues to grow our domestic supply of critical minerals, strengthening our national security and energy grid.” “For far too long, our country has depended on foreign adversaries for vital minerals that support many of our defense capabilities and energy systems. This legislation will establish important structures for mineral development and help build critical partnerships,” said Fulcher. “I am proud to co-lead the National Critical Minerals Council Act with my colleague, Congresswoman Lee. By securing the critical minerals we have here at home today, we can build stronger energy security for tomorrow.” The Secretary of the Interior, the National Security Adviser, and the Director of the National Economic Council would co-chair the council. They would appoint a Chief Minerals Adviser to oversee the Council’s operations and collaborate with experts from universities, industry, national labs, governments, Tribes, non-profits, and civil society. Specifically, the council would: Develop a national critical minerals strategy to reduce our reliance on foreign adversaries. Work with allied nations and private entities to make the U.S. the partner of choice on critical minerals projects. Track foreign investments in global critical mineral projects. Coordinate education and workforce development. Oversee the responsible development of domestic resources. Hickenlooper has introduced several bills that boost the supply of critical minerals: Critical Materials Future Act , which would establish a pilot program for the Department of Energy to financially support domestic critical material processing projects. Unearth Innovation Act , which would create a Mining and Mineral Innovation Program within the Department of Energy to drive the responsible production of domestic critical minerals, with a focus on minimizing the environmental impact of mining. Critical Minerals Security Act , which would direct the Department of the Interior to evaluate the global supply and ownership of critical minerals and make it easier for the U.S. to establish stable supply chains with international allies A one-page explainer is available HERE. Full text of the bill is available HERE. ###