Floor SpeechNeutral2026-06-24

Text of Senate Amendment 6298

TaxesEnvironmentForeign PolicyDefenseEducation

Context

On 2026-06-24, Senator Christopher A. Coons (D-DE) delivered a floor speech titled "Text Of Senate Amendment 6298" in the Senate.

Full Text

Text of Senate Amendment 6298

Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 106 (Wednesday, June 24, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 106 (Wednesday, June 24, 2026)] [Senate] [Page S3439] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] SA 6298. Mr. COONS (for himself and Mr. Young) submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by him to the bill S. 4784, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2027 for military activities of the Department of Defense, for military construction, and for defense activities of the Department of Energy, to prescribe military personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows: At the end of subtitle G of title X, add the following: SEC. 1___. FINDING OPPORTUNITIES FOR RESOURCE EXPLORATION. (a) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that the United States should prioritize, to the greatest extent practicable, the onshoring of critical mineral processing. (b) Definitions.--In this section: (1) Allied foreign country.--The term ``allied foreign country'' means a member country of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization or a country that has been designated as a major non-NATO ally under section 517 of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2321k). (2) Critical mineral.--The term ``critical mineral'' has the meaning given the term in section 7002(a) of the Energy Act of 2020 (30 U.S.C. 1606(a)). (3) Institution of higher education.--The term ``institution of higher education'' has the meaning given the term in section 101 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001). (4) Partner foreign country.--The term ``partner foreign country'' means a country that is a source of a critical mineral or rare earth element. (5) Rare earth element.--The term ``rare earth element'' means cerium, dysprosium, erbium, europium, gadolinium, holmium, lanthanum, lutetium, neodymium, praseodymium, promethium, samarium, scandium, terbium, thulium, ytterbium, or yttrium. (6) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary of State. (c) Agreements With Respect to the Mapping of Critical Minerals and Rare Earth Elements.-- (1) Agreements.--The Secretary may enter into agreements with 1 or more partner foreign countries with respect to scientific and technical cooperation in the mapping of critical minerals and rare earth elements. (2) Objectives.--In negotiating an agreement under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall seek to increase the security and resilience of international supply chains, to the maximum extent practicable, for critical minerals and rare earth elements by-- (A) committing to assisting the partner foreign country through cooperative activities described in paragraph (4) that help the partner foreign country map reserves of critical minerals and rare earth elements; (B) ensuring that private companies headquartered in the United States or an allied foreign country are offered the right of first refusal in the further development of critical minerals and rare earth elements in the partner foreign country that were discovered or better characterized as a result of the cooperative activities described in paragraph (4); and (C) ensuring that mapping data created through the cooperative activities described in paragraph (4) is protected against unauthorized access by, or disclosure to, governmental or other entities based in countries that are not-- (i) a party to the agreement; or (ii) an allied foreign country. (3) Implementation.--In implementing an agreement under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall-- (A) partner with companies in the United States to carry out the cooperative activities described in paragraph (4); (B) facilitate private sector investment in the exploration and development of critical minerals and rare earth elements; and (C) refrain from activities that would materially delay ongoing domestic mapping activities with respect to critical mineral or rare earth elements in the United States. (4) Cooperative activities.--The cooperative activities referred to in paragraphs (2) and (3) include-- (A) acquisition, compilation, analysis, and interpretation of geologic, geophysical, geochemical, and spectroscopic remote sensing data; (B) prospectivity mapping and mineral resource assessment; (C) analysis of geoscience data, including developing derivative map products that can help more effectively evaluate the mineral resources of the partner foreign country; (D) scientific collaboration to enhance the understanding and management of the natural resources of the partner foreign country to contribute to the sustainable development of the mineral resources sector of that partner foreign country; (E) training and capacity building in each area described in subparagraphs (A) through (D); (F) facilitation of education and specialized training in geoscience and mineral resource management at institutions of higher education; (G) training in relevant international standards for relevant officials of the government and private companies of the partner foreign country; and (H) cooperation among entities of the partner foreign country that are a party to the agreement and entities in the United States, including Federal departments and agencies, institutions of higher education, research centers, and private companies. (5) Notification and report to congress.-- (A) Definition of appropriate committees of congress.--In this paragraph, the term ``appropriate committees of Congress'' means-- (i) the Committees on Energy and Natural Resources, Foreign Relations, and Appropriations of the Senate; and (ii) the Committees on Natural Resources, Foreign Affairs, and Appropriations of the House of Representatives. (B) Notification and report.--Not later than 30 days before the Secretary intends to enter into an agreement under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall-- (i) notify the appropriate committees of Congress; and (ii) submit to the appropriate committees of Congress a report detailing the implementing partners, scope of the agreement, activities to be undertaken, estimated costs, and source of funding. (6) Consultation with private sector.--The Secretary shall consult with relevant private sector actors, as the Secretary determines to be appropriate, in-- (A) prioritizing and selecting partner foreign countries with which to enter into an agreement under paragraph (1); and (B) assessing how an agreement can best facilitate private sector interest in pursuing the further development of critical minerals and rare earth elements in accordance with the objectives described in paragraph (2). ______

View original source →

Text of Senate Amendment 6298 Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 106 (Wednesday, June 24, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 106 (Wednesday, June 24, 2026)] [Senate] [Page S3439] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] SA 6298. Mr. COONS (for himself and Mr. Young) submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by him to the bill S. 4784, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2027 for military activities of the Department of Defense, for military construction, and for defense activities of the Department of Energy, to prescribe military personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows: At the end of subtitle G of title X, add the following: SEC. 1___. FINDING OPPORTUNITIES FOR RESOURCE EXPLORATION. (a) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that the United States should prioritize, to the greatest extent practicable, the onshoring of critical mineral processing. (b) Definitions.--In this section: (1) Allied foreign country.--The term ``allied foreign country'' means a member country of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization or a country that has been designated as a major non-NATO ally under section 517 of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2321k). (2) Critical mineral.--The term ``critical mineral'' has the meaning given the term in section 7002(a) of the Energy Act of 2020 (30 U.S.C. 1606(a)). (3) Institution of higher education.--The term ``institution of higher education'' has the meaning given the term in section 101 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001). (4) Partner foreign country.--The term ``partner foreign country'' means a country that is a source of a critical mineral or rare earth element. (5) Rare earth element.--The term ``rare earth element'' means cerium, dysprosium, erbium, europium, gadolinium, holmium, lanthanum, lutetium, neodymium, praseodymium, promethium, samarium, scandium, terbium, thulium, ytterbium, or yttrium. (6) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary of State. (c) Agreements With Respect to the Mapping of Critical Minerals and Rare Earth Elements.-- (1) Agreements.--The Secretary may enter into agreements with 1 or more partner foreign countries with respect to scientific and technical cooperation in the mapping of critical minerals and rare earth elements. (2) Objectives.--In negotiating an agreement under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall seek to increase the security and resilience of international supply chains, to the maximum extent practicable, for critical minerals and rare earth elements by-- (A) committing to assisting the partner foreign country through cooperative activities described in paragraph (4) that help the partner foreign country map reserves of critical minerals and rare earth elements; (B) ensuring that private companies headquartered in the United States or an allied foreign country are offered the right of first refusal in the further development of critical minerals and rare earth elements in the partner foreign country that were discovered or better characterized as a result of the cooperative activities described in paragraph (4); and (C) ensuring that mapping data created through the cooperative activities described in paragraph (4) is protected against unauthorized access by, or disclosure to, governmental or other entities based in countries that are not-- (i) a party to the agreement; or (ii) an allied foreign country. (3) Implementation.--In implementing an agreement under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall-- (A) partner with companies in the United States to carry out the cooperative activities described in paragraph (4); (B) facilitate private sector investment in the exploration and development of critical minerals and rare earth elements; and (C) refrain from activities that would materially delay ongoing domestic mapping activities with respect to critical mineral or rare earth elements in the United States. (4) Cooperative activities.--The cooperative activities referred to in paragraphs (2) and (3) include-- (A) acquisition, compilation, analysis, and interpretation of geologic, geophysical, geochemical, and spectroscopic remote sensing data; (B) prospectivity mapping and mineral resource assessment; (C) analysis of geoscience data, including developing derivative map products that can help more effectively evaluate the mineral resources of the partner foreign country; (D) scientific collaboration to enhance the understanding and management of the natural resources of the partner foreign country to contribute to the sustainable development of the mineral resources sector of that partner foreign country; (E) training and capacity building in each area described in subparagraphs (A) through (D); (F) facilitation of education and specialized training in geoscience and mineral resource management at institutions of higher education; (G) training in relevant international standards for relevant officials of the government and private companies of the partner foreign country; and (H) cooperation among entities of the partner foreign country that are a party to the agreement and entities in the United States, including Federal departments and agencies, institutions of higher education, research centers, and private companies. (5) Notification and report to congress.-- (A) Definition of appropriate committees of congress.--In this paragraph, the term ``appropriate committees of Congress'' means-- (i) the Committees on Energy and Natural Resources, Foreign Relations, and Appropriations of the Senate; and (ii) the Committees on Natural Resources, Foreign Affairs, and Appropriations of the House of Representatives. (B) Notification and report.--Not later than 30 days before the Secretary intends to enter into an agreement under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall-- (i) notify the appropriate committees of Congress; and (ii) submit to the appropriate committees of Congress a report detailing the implementing partners, scope of the agreement, activities to be undertaken, estimated costs, and source of funding. (6) Consultation with private sector.--The Secretary shall consult with relevant private sector actors, as the Secretary determines to be appropriate, in-- (A) prioritizing and selecting partner foreign countries with which to enter into an agreement under paragraph (1); and (B) assessing how an agreement can best facilitate private sector interest in pursuing the further development of critical minerals and rare earth elements in accordance with the objectives described in paragraph (2). ______