Peters Introduces Bipartisan Bill to Promote U.S. Military’s Critical Mineral Independence from Adversaries like Russia and China

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Gary Peters (MI), Chairman of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee,introduced bipartisan legislation todirectthe Department of Defense (DOD) toidentify ways toreduceour nation’srelianceon China, Russia, and other adversarial nations for critical minerals. China controls a significant portion of the world’s critical mineral mining and processing, making the U.S. reliant on China for key minerals to manufacture military equipment and otherproducts needed to protect national security. Thishas created serious national security risks and economic implications.Peters’bill wouldstrengthen our national security andpromote U.S. independence from China and other adversarialnationsbyensuring DOD has a strategytoonshorethe critical mineral supply chain and expand ourdomesticprocessing capabilities.

“The Department of Defense should not be dependent on foreign adversaries like China for resources needed to make equipment and ammunition that are essential to our combat readiness and warfare capabilities,” said Senator Peters. “This bipartisan effort will help protect our national and economic security, strengthen our critical mineral supply chains, and ensure our military can procure the tools they need to defend our country.”

The bipartisanCritical Mineral Independence Actrequires the DOD to craft a strategy to reduce our nation’s dependency on the foreign critical mineral supply chain. The legislation would also require the DOD to recommend changes to laws, regulations, and policies that would help promote supply chain independence fromnations withadversarial governments like China and Russia. This bill would also work to expand domestic processing of critical minerals and promote engagement withinternationalallies and partners to reduce global critical mineral dependencies.

In addition tointroducingthis legislation, Peters’ bill to require the creation of an intergovernmental task force to identify opportunities to increase domestic production and recycling of critical minerals has alsoadvanced in the Senate.

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