Rep. August Pfluger (TX-11) and Rep. Dan Newhouse (WA-04) introduced the Critical Minerals Classification Improvement Act to secure a domestic supply of critical minerals with bipartisan support.

“The United States is blessed with abundant natural resources. Unfortunately, climate alarmists have been fighting against reliable thermal power sources like natural gas and nuclear—leading to short-sighted policies that have crippled American energy independence,” said Rep. Pfluger. “Energy security is national security. We should not be reliant on our foreign adversaries like China and Russia to power our daily life. I am proud to lead this effort with Chairman Newhouse to strengthen America’s domestic energy production.”

“It is more important than ever that we secure our domestic supply of critical minerals, and that should absolutely include minerals with both fuel and non-fuel uses like uranium,” said Chairman Newhouse. “The United States cannot afford to rely on foreign countries like Russia, China, or their proxies for minerals that are critical for our energy future and our national security. This legislation is a commonsense reform that will ensure we have the critical minerals we need to thrive as a nation.”

Background:

The United States is currently dependent on Russia and its allies for Uranium—a mineral that powers approximately 20% of the United States’ electric grid as well as many of the U.S. Navy’s submarines and aircraft carriers. The Critical Minerals Classification Act will spur domestic mining by updating the definition of what can be considered a “critical mineral” in the U.S. Department of Interior’s list of critical minerals.

The lead Democrats on the bill are Reps. Henry Cuellar (TX-28) and Vicente Gonzalez (TX-15).

The Critical Minerals Classification Improvement Act was introduced with the endorsement of the National Mining Association, Citizens for Responsible Energy Solutions (CRES), U.S. Nuclear Industry Council, Uranium Producers of America, U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Global Energy Institute, American Exploration & Mining Association, ClearPath Action, and Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI).

Full text of the bill can be found here.