House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) is scrutinizing the Department of Defense's (DoD) compliance with a directive from President Trump. The executive order calls for American agencies to advance offshore initiatives and develop technology for deep-sea exploration and mineral mining, aiming to keep pace with China. In correspondence with DoD Secretary Pete Hegseth, Comer emphasizes the significance of U.S. innovation in deep-sea mining (DSM) for maintaining energy independence from China. He requests a briefing on the DoD's actions regarding this executive order.
"The CCP has designs to extract and commercialize [seabed mineral] resources—and otherwise box-out the U.S. and its allies from direct access," stated Chairman Comer. He highlighted that technologies developed for DSM have dual-use potential in both maritime and defense sectors, which is vital for U.S. national security.
As China advances in DSM technology, the U.S. seeks to uphold its global leadership and defense capabilities by mining critical minerals. The Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) strategic partnerships threaten smaller Pacific nations' security by infringing on their sovereign waters. This letter is part of the Oversight Committee’s broader investigation into the CCP’s influence domestically and internationally.
"China is establishing Memorandums of Understanding (MoU) with small island nations around the globe, particularly in areas with high concentrations of critical minerals," Comer noted, stressing that such partnerships allow China access to resource-rich waters, potentially impacting navigable waters' freedom, DSM commercial enterprise, and Pacific Island nations' sovereignty.
