OKC Standard

Senator James Lankford of Oklahoma has reintroduced the Intergovernmental Critical Minerals Taskforce Act, aiming to reduce the United States' dependence on countries like China for critical minerals. These minerals are vital for producing electric vehicle batteries, military equipment, and other technologies important to national security and economic competitiveness.

Lankford stated, "The United States should not depend on communist China to keep our critical mineral supply chain running. Relying on China for critical minerals means relying on our adversary for batteries, medical supplies, and military equipment." He emphasized the need to prioritize American-produced energy solutions and involve US suppliers in the process.

China currently dominates as a supplier for more than half of America's critical mineral imports. The proposed bill seeks to address this by establishing an intergovernmental task force focused on enhancing domestic production and recycling of these essential materials. Senator Gary Peters from Michigan is co-sponsoring the bill with Lankford.

The legislation mandates that the President form a task force comprising representatives from federal agencies who will collaborate with state, local, and Tribal governments. This group will work towards identifying strategies to mitigate national security risks linked to America's critical mineral supply chains while exploring new domestic opportunities in mining, processing, refinement, reuse, and recycling.

Additionally, the task force is required to submit a report to Congress detailing their findings and recommendations aimed at reducing reliance on foreign nations like China for these crucial resources.