The National Strategic and Critical Minerals Production Act (H.R. 761), sponsored by Rep. Mark Amodei (NV-02), allows the United States to more efficiently develop our Nation's strategic and critical minerals, such as rare earth elements, that are vital to job creation, American economic competitiveness and national security.
Currently, the United States is nearly 100 percent reliant on foreign countries, such as China, for rare earth elements and other critical and strategic minerals that are vital components to America’s manufacturing sector.
Due to onerous government red-tape, frivolous lawsuits and a burdensome permitting process, good-paying mining jobs have disappeared overseas and put American manufacturing jobs at the mercy of foreign sources.
This bill is a bipartisan action plan that cuts red-tape by streamlining the permitting process for mineral development to create jobs and develop rare earths and critical minerals in America - rather than allowing our dependence on foreign countries to threaten our economy and the jobs that depend on these vital raw ingredients.
H.R. 761 sets the total review process for permitting at 30 months. Currently, it can take over a decade to acquire all the government permits for a mineral production project. According to one report, currently, the United States ranks last with Papua New Guinea out of twenty-five major mining countries in permitting delays, and towards the bottom regarding government take and social issues affecting mining.
Without critical mineral ingredients, entire sectors of our economy, from construction and manufacturing to high-tech to national defense to medical care, are put at risk.
Critical and strategic minerals are fundamental components of technologies and everyday items ranging from cell phones, computers, medical equipment, renewable energy products, high-tech military equipment, building materials, and common household products.
The timely and environmentally responsible development of our Nation’s vast supplies of strategic and critical minerals will create good-paying mining jobs, boost local economies and provide security to America’s economy.
Respects and upholds all environmental laws while setting timelines that ensure these laws do not become tools for lawsuits or bureaucrats to block or delay responsible projects.
This legislation is similar to H.R. 4402 that passed the House last Congress with bipartisan support.
