National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019

Floor Speech

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. GOSAR. Mr. Chairman, I rise today in support of my good friend and colleague, Representative Amodei's, amendment.

The amendment aims to streamline a bureaucratic process that is hampering the production of defense critical metals and minerals. Strategic and critical minerals are important to national security and help provide our troops with the equipment and weapons they need to keep us safe.

A nonclassified defense study recently found that failure to have a reliable supply chain for at least 16 of the 35 critical minerals has already caused significant weapon system production delays for the Department of Defense.

A recent report published by the Department of the Interior and the U.S. Geological Survey found the U.S. is 100 percent net import reliant on foreign countries, including China, for 20 different critical minerals. Such reliance threatens our national security as well as our ability to make equipment and weapons that our troops need to be successful in their missions.

I applaud Representative Amodei and his strong leadership and tireless efforts to support the needs of our men and women in uniform, and I urge the adoption of this amendment.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source