Floor SpeechNeutral2026-06-24

Text of Senate Amendment 6370

EnvironmentDefenseInfrastructure

Context

On 2026-06-24, Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) delivered a floor speech titled "Text Of Senate Amendment 6370" in the Senate.

Full Text

Text of Senate Amendment 6370

Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 106 (Wednesday, June 24, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 106 (Wednesday, June 24, 2026)] [Senate] [Page S3483] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] SA 6370. Mr. CORNYN (for himself, Mr. Warner, 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___. REPORT ON CRITICAL MINERAL AND RARE EARTH ELEMENT RESOURCES. (a) Definitions.--In this section: (1) Covered nation.--The term ``covered nation'' has the meaning given the term in section 4872(f) of title 10, United States Code. (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) Foreign entity of concern.--The term ``foreign entity of concern'' has the meaning given the term in section 40207(a) of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (42 U.S.C. 18741(a)). (4) Rare earth elements.--The term ``rare earth elements'' means cerium, dysprosium, erbium, europium, gadolinium, holmium, lanthanum, lutetium, neodymium, praseodymium, promethium, samarium, scandium, terbium, thulium, ytterbium, and yttrium. (5) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary of the Interior (6) United states person.--The term ``United States person'' means-- (A) a United States citizen or an alien lawfully admitted for permanent residence to the United States; or (B) an entity organized under the laws of the United States or of any jurisdiction within the United States, including a foreign branch of such an entity. (b) Report on Critical Mineral and Rare Earth Element Resources.-- (1) In general.--Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary, in consultation with the Secretary of Energy and the heads of other relevant Federal agencies, shall submit to Congress a report on all critical mineral and rare earth element resources (including recyclable or recycled materials containing those resources) around the world that includes-- (A) an assessment of-- (i) which of those resources are under the control of a foreign entity of concern, including through ownership, contract, or economic or political influence; (ii) which of those resources are owned by, controlled by, or subject to the jurisdiction or direction of the United States or a country that is an ally or partner of the United States; (iii) which of those resources are not owned by, controlled by, or subject to the jurisdiction or direction of a foreign entity of concern or a country described in clause (ii); and (iv) in the case of those resources not undergoing commercial mining, the reasons for the lack of commercial mining; (B) for each mine from which significant quantities of critical minerals or rare earth elements are being extracted, as of the date that is 1 year before the date of the report-- (i) an estimate of the annual volume of output of the mine as of that date; (ii) an estimate of the total volume of mineral or elements that remain in the mine as of that date; (iii)(I) an identification of the country and entity operating the mine; or (II) if the mine is operated by more than 1 country or entity, an estimate of the output of each mineral or element from the mine to which each such country or entity has access; and (iv) an identification of the ultimate beneficial owners of the mine and the percentage of ownership held by each such owner; (C) for each mine not described in subparagraph (B), to the extent practicable-- (i) an estimate of the aggregate annual volume of output of the mines as of the date that is 1 year before the date of the report; (ii) an estimate of the aggregate total volume of mineral or elements that remain in the mines as of that date; and (iii) an estimate of the aggregate total output of each mineral or element from the mine to which a foreign entity of concern has access; (D)(i) a list of key foreign entities of concern involved in mining critical minerals and rare earth elements; (ii) a list of key entities in the United States and countries that are allies or partners of the United States involved in mining critical minerals and rare earth elements; and (iii) an assessment of the technical feasibility of entities listed under clauses (i) and (ii) mining and processing resources identified under subparagraph (A)(iii) using existing advanced technology; (E) an assessment, prepared in consultation with the Secretary of State, of ways to collaborate with countries in which mines, mineral processing operations, or recycling operations (or any combination thereof) are located that are operated by other countries, or are operated by entities from other countries, to ensure ongoing access by the United States and countries that are allies and partners of the United States to those mines and processing or recycling operations; (F) a list, prepared in consultation with the Secretary of Commerce, identifying, to the maximum extent practicable, based on publicly available and government-sourced information, strategically significant cases in which entities were forced to divest stock in mining, processing, or recycling operations (or any combination thereof) for critical minerals and rare earth elements based on-- (i) regulatory rulings of the government of a covered nation; (ii) joint regulatory rulings of the government of a covered nation and the government of another country; or (iii) rulings of a relevant tribunal or other entity authorized to render binding decisions on divestiture; (G) a list of strategically significant cases in which the government of a covered nation purchased an entity that was forced to divest stock as described in subparagraph (F); (H) a list of strategically significant cases in which mining, processing, or recycling operations (or any combination thereof) for critical minerals and rare earth elements that were not subject to a ruling described in subparagraph (F) were taken over by-- (i) the government of a covered nation; or (ii) an entity located in, or influenced or controlled by, the government of a covered nation; and (I) an assessment of any significant data gaps or uncertainties in the information required under subparagraphs (F) through (H). (2) Form of report.--The report required by paragraph (1) shall be submitted in unclassified form, but may include a classified annex, if necessary. ______

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Text of Senate Amendment 6370 Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 106 (Wednesday, June 24, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 106 (Wednesday, June 24, 2026)] [Senate] [Page S3483] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] SA 6370. Mr. CORNYN (for himself, Mr. Warner, 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___. REPORT ON CRITICAL MINERAL AND RARE EARTH ELEMENT RESOURCES. (a) Definitions.--In this section: (1) Covered nation.--The term ``covered nation'' has the meaning given the term in section 4872(f) of title 10, United States Code. (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) Foreign entity of concern.--The term ``foreign entity of concern'' has the meaning given the term in section 40207(a) of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (42 U.S.C. 18741(a)). (4) Rare earth elements.--The term ``rare earth elements'' means cerium, dysprosium, erbium, europium, gadolinium, holmium, lanthanum, lutetium, neodymium, praseodymium, promethium, samarium, scandium, terbium, thulium, ytterbium, and yttrium. (5) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary of the Interior (6) United states person.--The term ``United States person'' means-- (A) a United States citizen or an alien lawfully admitted for permanent residence to the United States; or (B) an entity organized under the laws of the United States or of any jurisdiction within the United States, including a foreign branch of such an entity. (b) Report on Critical Mineral and Rare Earth Element Resources.-- (1) In general.--Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary, in consultation with the Secretary of Energy and the heads of other relevant Federal agencies, shall submit to Congress a report on all critical mineral and rare earth element resources (including recyclable or recycled materials containing those resources) around the world that includes-- (A) an assessment of-- (i) which of those resources are under the control of a foreign entity of concern, including through ownership, contract, or economic or political influence; (ii) which of those resources are owned by, controlled by, or subject to the jurisdiction or direction of the United States or a country that is an ally or partner of the United States; (iii) which of those resources are not owned by, controlled by, or subject to the jurisdiction or direction of a foreign entity of concern or a country described in clause (ii); and (iv) in the case of those resources not undergoing commercial mining, the reasons for the lack of commercial mining; (B) for each mine from which significant quantities of critical minerals or rare earth elements are being extracted, as of the date that is 1 year before the date of the report-- (i) an estimate of the annual volume of output of the mine as of that date; (ii) an estimate of the total volume of mineral or elements that remain in the mine as of that date; (iii)(I) an identification of the country and entity operating the mine; or (II) if the mine is operated by more than 1 country or entity, an estimate of the output of each mineral or element from the mine to which each such country or entity has access; and (iv) an identification of the ultimate beneficial owners of the mine and the percentage of ownership held by each such owner; (C) for each mine not described in subparagraph (B), to the extent practicable-- (i) an estimate of the aggregate annual volume of output of the mines as of the date that is 1 year before the date of the report; (ii) an estimate of the aggregate total volume of mineral or elements that remain in the mines as of that date; and (iii) an estimate of the aggregate total output of each mineral or element from the mine to which a foreign entity of concern has access; (D)(i) a list of key foreign entities of concern involved in mining critical minerals and rare earth elements; (ii) a list of key entities in the United States and countries that are allies or partners of the United States involved in mining critical minerals and rare earth elements; and (iii) an assessment of the technical feasibility of entities listed under clauses (i) and (ii) mining and processing resources identified under subparagraph (A)(iii) using existing advanced technology; (E) an assessment, prepared in consultation with the Secretary of State, of ways to collaborate with countries in which mines, mineral processing operations, or recycling operations (or any combination thereof) are located that are operated by other countries, or are operated by entities from other countries, to ensure ongoing access by the United States and countries that are allies and partners of the United States to those mines and processing or recycling operations; (F) a list, prepared in consultation with the Secretary of Commerce, identifying, to the maximum extent practicable, based on publicly available and government-sourced information, strategically significant cases in which entities were forced to divest stock in mining, processing, or recycling operations (or any combination thereof) for critical minerals and rare earth elements based on-- (i) regulatory rulings of the government of a covered nation; (ii) joint regulatory rulings of the government of a covered nation and the government of another country; or (iii) rulings of a relevant tribunal or other entity authorized to render binding decisions on divestiture; (G) a list of strategically significant cases in which the government of a covered nation purchased an entity that was forced to divest stock as described in subparagraph (F); (H) a list of strategically significant cases in which mining, processing, or recycling operations (or any combination thereof) for critical minerals and rare earth elements that were not subject to a ruling described in subparagraph (F) were taken over by-- (i) the government of a covered nation; or (ii) an entity located in, or influenced or controlled by, the government of a covered nation; and (I) an assessment of any significant data gaps or uncertainties in the information required under subparagraphs (F) through (H). (2) Form of report.--The report required by paragraph (1) shall be submitted in unclassified form, but may include a classified annex, if necessary. ______