Risch, Cotton Introduce Bill to Ban Blacklisted Firms from Sensitive DOE Contracts

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Jim Risch (R-Idaho) and Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) today introduced the Securing our Energy Supply Chains Act , which would establish a Department of Energy non-procurement list for critical minerals, battery production, and other related energy needs. “Organizations that threaten our national security have no business engaging in American energy production,” said Risch. “The Securing our Energy Supply Chains Act protects the energy sector, which is critical to both our economy and security, from bad actors while advancing domestic needs.” “Supply chains for our country’s critical minerals and battery production are a cut-and-dry national security issue. Firms that are banned from doing business with the Department of Defense and other federal agencies should face significant restrictions when working in these sensitive areas,” said Cotton . The Securing our Energy Supply Chains Act would: Establish a master energy non-procurement list for DOE projects prioritizing critical minerals and battery production Establish a waiver process for contracts or projects that require exceptions Require a federal study to pull all similar lists of entities of concern from Commerce, DOD, Energy, State, Treasury, DNI, and other agencies and make recommendations for harmonization.