U.S. Rep. Pete Stauber (R-Minn.), chair of the Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources, criticized President Joe Biden for importing Chinese-owned critical earth minerals rather than mining the minerals domestically.
“Minnesota could have supplied the minerals for EV batteries, but unfortunately your Administration prefers minerals mined by child slaves at Chinese-owned mines in the Congo,” Stauber said in a Twitter post.
Stauber was responding to a tweet by Pres. Biden stating, “On my watch, the great American road trip is going to be fully electrified. And now, through a tax credit, you can get up to $7,500 on a new electric vehicle.”
“Our House Republican majority is committed to restoring American energy and mineral dominance, and this Subcommittee will lead the charge,” Stauber said, according to a Facebook post. “Whether it be unlocking our vast mineral wealth in northern Minnesota and across the country or unleashing American energy, I look forward to working with Chairman Congressman Bruce Westerman and the full House Committee on Natural Resources GOP in delivering commonsense results for the American people.”
Stauber introduced H.R. 209, the Permitting for Mining Needs Act, to update an outdated permitting process. He said that the Biden administration will be held accountable for choosing foreign minerals and energy over the production of energy at home.
The National Association of Building Trades Unions, the American Exploration and Mining Association, the National Mining Association, and the Uranium Producers of America, support the measure, which would streamline how domestic mining projects obtain permits, according to Stauber's website.
The Biden administration has tried to increase domestic production of lithium and other critical materials in support of a transition to green energy and to decrease reliance on China and Russia. But many mining projects in the U.S. face challenges from environmental regulations, Greenwire reported. The administration has approved few mines proposed on federal lands.
“The actions we have seen from the administration have really been contrary to providing that domestic mineral production,” Mark Compton, executive chairman for the American Exploration and Mining Association, told Greenwire. “Right now, permitting is still creating an unfavorable environment for attracting mining investment in the United States.”
Federal laws governing domestic mining through environmental standards include the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, the Clean Air Act of 1970, the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act of 1976, the Clean Water Act of 1977, the Toxic Substances Control Act of 1977, and the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980, according to the American Geosciences Institute.
In 2021, the U.S. imported $160 million worth of rare earth minerals, an increase from $109 million in 2020, according to a report from the U.S. Geological Survey. China supplied 78% of them, according to a U.S. Geological Survey 2022 minerals summary.
