Critical Mineral Dominance Act
Floor Speech
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Mr. TONKO. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from California for yielding time.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to this bill. Critical minerals are essential building blocks for a clean energy economy and many other technologies central to our everyday lives. I do not dispute that, but how we source and process these materials matters just as much as how quickly we deploy them.
We must pursue critical minerals in a way that is responsible and in a way that is sustainable. Demand for these minerals is growing rapidly. Yet, global supply chains remain highly concentrated and often linked to serious human rights abuses and environmental harms.
This should push us toward thoughtful policies that strengthen domestic supply chains and not reckless ones that endanger our environment and communities like H.R. 4090.
One underutilized source of critical minerals is recycling. By recovering and reusing already mined resources, we are tapping into a new domestic supply. While recycling alone will not meet all of our projected demand, it can significantly reduce pressure on primary extraction if we invest now. This bill completely ignores the role of recycling to strengthen our supply chains.
Another way to strengthen these supply chains is through enhanced transparency. Last Congress, I introduced the bipartisan Critical Materials TRACE Act to improve supply chain visibility. Transparency can help drive responsible sourcing and innovation and reduce environmental, labor, and human rights abuses, ultimately making our supply chains more secure.
These are areas where bipartisan agreement is indeed possible, but H.R. 4090 is not that answer. This bill would make it easier to sell off public lands to polluting mining companies and weaken key protections that safeguard our drinking water and protect communities.
We can meet our critical mineral needs without sacrificing public lands, environmental laws, or, yes, public health. For these reasons, I urge my colleagues to oppose this bill.
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