SECURING AMERICA'S CRITICAL MINERALS SUPPLY ACT

On 2026-02-11, Representative Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ-6) delivered a floor speech titled "SECURING AMERICA'S CRITICAL MINERALS SUPPLY ACT" in the House. The speech addressed healthcare and also covered the environment, foreign policy. It referenced legislation including HR3617, HRES1057.

SECURING AMERICA'S CRITICAL MINERALS SUPPLY ACT

Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 29 (Wednesday, February 11, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 29 (Wednesday, February 11, 2026)] [House] [Pages H2150-H2154] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] {time} 1100 SECURING AMERICA'S CRITICAL MINERALS SUPPLY ACT Mr. WEBER of Texas. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 1057, I call up the bill (H.R. 3617) to amend the Department of Energy Organization Act to secure the supply of critical energy resources, including critical minerals and other materials, and for other purposes, and ask for its immediate consideration in the House. The Clerk read the title of the bill. The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to House Resolution 1057, the amendment in the nature of a substitute recommended by the Committee on Energy and Commerce, printed in the bill, is adopted and the bill, as amended, is considered read. The text of the bill, as amended, is as follows: H.R. 3617 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. This Act may be cited as the ``Securing America's Critical Minerals Supply Act''. SEC. 2. AMENDMENT TO THE DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY ORGANIZATION ACT. The Department of Energy Organization Act (42 U.S.C. 7101 et seq.) is amended-- (1) in section 2, by adding at the end the following: ``(d) As used in sections 102(20) and 203(a)(12), the term `critical energy resource' means any energy resource-- ``(1) that is essential to the energy sector and energy systems of the United States; and ``(2) the supply chain of which is vulnerable to disruption.''; (2) in section 102, by adding at the end the following: ``(20) To ensure there is an adequate and reliable supply of critical energy resources that are essential to the energy security of the United States.''; and (3) in section 203(a), by adding at the end the following: ``(12) Functions that relate to securing the supply of critical energy resources, including identifying and mitigating the effects of a disruption of such supply on-- ``(A) the development and use of energy technologies; and ``(B) the operation of energy systems.''. SEC. 3. SECURING CRITICAL ENERGY RESOURCE SUPPLY CHAINS. (a) In General.--In carrying out the requirements of the Department of Energy Organization Act (42 U.S.C. 7101 et seq.), the Secretary of Energy, in consultation with the appropriate Federal agencies, representatives of the energy sector, States, and other stakeholders, shall-- (1) conduct ongoing assessments of-- (A) energy resource criticality, based on the importance of critical energy resources to the development of energy technologies and the supply of energy; (B) the critical energy resource supply chain of the United States; (C) the vulnerability of such supply chain; (D) the diversity of domestic critical energy resource supply chains in the United States, including the extent to which such diversity is sufficient to prevent monopolistic behavior, a single point of failure, or market manipulation; (E) capacity constraints on the domestic production of critical energy resources, including any such constraint caused by a shortage of material or labor; (F) Federal regulations affecting the domestic production or importation of critical energy resources; (G) how the energy security of the United States is affected by the reliance of the United States on importation of critical energy resources; and (H) how adversarial nations seek to exploit critical energy resource markets to undermine investment in the United States, which may include the extent to which adversarial nations employ anti-competitive practices, price manipulation, or human rights abuses in critical energy resource production and exportation; (2) facilitate development of strategies to strengthen critical energy resource supply chains in the United States, including by-- (A) diversifying the sources of the supply of critical energy resources; and (B) increasing domestic production, separation, and processing of critical energy resources; (3) develop substitutes and alternatives to critical energy resources; and (4) improve technology that reuses and recycles critical energy resources. (b) Report.--Not later than two years after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Energy shall submit to the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate a report on the status of the assessments under subsection (a)(1), including a description of any regulation prescribed, guidance issued, or other action taken as a result of such an assessment. (c) Critical Energy Resource Defined.--In this section, the term ``critical energy resource'' has the meaning given such term in section 2 of the Department of Energy Organization Act (42 U.S.C. 7101). The SPEAKER pro tempore. The bill, as amended, shall be debatable for 1 hour, equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the Committee on Energy and Commerce or their respective designees. The gentleman from Texas (Mr. Weber) and the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Pallone) each will control 30 minutes. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Weber). General Leave Mr. WEBER of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks on the legislation and to insert extraneous material on H.R. 3617. The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the gentleman from Texas? There was no objection. Mr. WEBER of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 3617, the Securing America's Critical Minerals Supply Act, introduced by Representative John James, my colleague and member of the Energy and Commerce Committee from Michigan's 10th Congressional District. Mr. Speaker, this legislation enhances the Department of Energy's ability to assess, to identify, as well as address vulnerabilities in the supply chain for energy resources that are absolutely essential to the economic and national security of these United States of America. When the Department of Energy was organized in 1977, Mr. Speaker, the American people were suffering from the energy security fallout of OPEC's oil embargoes. You may remember prices went up, gas lines formed, and our Nation's economy was threatened because adversarial nations took advantage of U.S. reliance on energy imports for their own interests, Mr. Speaker. Ultimately, the answer to energy security concerns was advancing United States' production and unleashing American energy dominance. Now the United States is the premier oil-producing nation on this planet. Today, we find ourselves, Mr. Speaker, in a similar disadvantaged position. An adversarial nation controls the access to key resources, as well as retains the ability to restrict American imports at will, threatening to bring the American economy to its knees. Instead of oil, it is critical minerals. It is rare earth elements, and it is energy resources that are essential to the daily lives of the hardworking Americans as well as a linchpin to the next-generation economy. These resources, Mr. Speaker, are absolutely required in virtually everything we need to compete as well as defend our country from foreign threats: semiconductors, nuclear reactors, oil and gas infrastructure, the transmission system, and military weaponry, just to name a few. Make no mistake about it, Communist China knows this and is taking advantage of it. The numbers are absolutely staggering. Communist China produces 60 percent of the world's rare earths and 90 percent of the respective processing capacity, along with 80 percent of the processing capacity for critical minerals, and the vast majority, the production, for at least 50 more critical minerals. The Chinese wield this authority through export controls to disrupt supply chains as well as market manipulation tactics to ensure no investments flow into these job-creating industries. Almost 50 years later, the answer to this problem lies in our ability to reshore essential energy production as well as refining facilities that can absolutely compete with our adversaries. Importantly, Mr. Speaker, the Trump administration has prioritized opportunities to combat undue influence from those same adversaries. For instance, last week, the United States and the United Kingdom signed a memorandum of understanding on strengthening cooperation between the countries on critical minerals, supply chains, and working to develop their critical mineral accessibility away from China. In addition, the Department of Energy's recent organizational realignment established the Office of Critical Minerals and Energy Innovation to fortify American supply chains that are essential to a reliable, affordable, and resilient energy industry. H.R. 3617, Mr. Speaker, will absolutely enhance the work being done by the Trump Administration by [[Page H2151]] leveraging the expertise of the Department of Energy, to secure our supplies of critical energy resources. We know what is at stake with the next-generation economy: cutting- edge technologies, like AI and advanced manufacturing, hold tremendous promise to lift up communities across the country with stable, good- paying jobs, while lowering costs for hardworking families. Mr. Speaker, the Securing America's Critical Minerals Supply Act takes an important step towards solidifying the U.S. position as a global leader in economies and technologies of the future. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, at a time when American families are struggling to make ends meet, as costs for healthcare, energy, housing, education, and groceries are skyrocketing, Ho

Referenced legislation: HRES1057, HRES1057, HR3617