U.S. Representatives from both parties have introduced bills to encourage domestic production of rare earths in the U.S. and reduce U.S. dependence on Chinese rare earth imports.
Republican Rep. Lance Gooden of Texas and Democrat Rep. Vicente Gonzalez of Texas introduced the Reclaiming American Rare Earths Act on September 1, calling for the creation of a tax incentive program to encourage domestic production of rare earths used in science and technology manufacturing to ensure U.S. national security.
The House motion is similar to a Senate bill introduced by Republican Senator Ted Cruz to encourage U.S. production of rare earths, and currently has the co-sponsorship and broad support of five other Texas Representatives.
According to Representative Gooden’s office, the United States is now more dependent than ever on imports of the resources needed to drive the nation’s economy, develop advanced technologies, and ensure national security. The U.S. Department of the Interior classifies 35 rare earth minerals as “critical” resources, 14 of which are entirely dependent on foreign suppliers, and China is a major supplier of 22 of these rare earth resources. Congressman Gooden said that the Take Back America’s Rare Earths Act is designed to change that.
Rep. Gooden stated, “The reliable supply of these materials is a matter of U.S. economic and security interests. We should not rely on the Chinese Communist Party to develop our critical military and communications technologies. Our future technological capabilities will depend on our ability to create an environment conducive to the domestic production of these resources.”
Senator Cruz said, “Our reliance on China for rare earth elements is very troubling and jeopardizes our nation’s ability to produce the technology that supports our military. We must take every step to ensure that the entire supply chain for rare earth elements and critical minerals remains within the United States. I am proud to spearhead this effort with Congressman Gooden.”
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