Floor SpeechNeutral2026-06-24

Text of Senate Amendment 6456

EnvironmentForeign PolicyDefenseChina

Context

On 2026-06-24, Senator John W. Hickenlooper (D-CO) delivered a floor speech titled "Text Of Senate Amendment 6456" in the Senate.

Full Text

Text of Senate Amendment 6456

Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 106 (Wednesday, June 24, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 106 (Wednesday, June 24, 2026)] [Senate] [Page S3585] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] SA 6456. Mr. HICKENLOOPER 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 E of title X, insert the following: SEC. 1050. REPORT ON CRITICAL DEFENSE MINERAL REQUIREMENTS AND MUNITIONS SUPPLY CHAIN RESILIENCY. (a) In General.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense, in coordination with the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment, the Director of the Defense Logistics Agency Strategic Materials, and the Director of the United States Geological Survey, shall submit to the congressional defense committees a report assessing critical defense mineral requirements, stockpile alignment, and supply chain vulnerabilities for munitions production. (b) Elements.--The report required by subsection (a) shall include the following: (1) An assessment of the critical minerals and materials required-- (A) to replenish munitions expended in operations of the United States Central Command since February 2026 to pre- conflict inventory levels; (B) to achieve munitions inventory objectives across a range of contingency scenarios for the Indo-Pacific region of varying duration and intensity, reported as a demand range rather than a single estimate; and (C) to estimate the duration for which stockpile holdings and supply arrangements as of the date of the enactment of this Act can sustain munitions production at required rates before surge production in the United States or allies of the United States is required to provide replacement supply. (2) For each critical mineral identified under paragraph (1), a comprehensive mapping of sole-source and near-sole- source chokepoints, and chokepoints controlled by the People's Republic of China or other adversaries of the United States, across extraction, processing, refining, fabrication, and component manufacturing stages, assessed by mineral and by munition system. (3) An analysis of the alignment of the composition of the National Defense Stockpile with the mineral requirements identified under paragraph (1), including-- (A) critical minerals for which no stockpile holding exists as of the date of the enactment of this Act; (B) whether stockpiled minerals are held in forms and grades usable by the munitions industrial base without intermediate processing that reintroduces foreign dependency; and (C) critical defense mineral requirements associated with munitions programs of record in development or early production that are not captured in the assessment under paragraph (1). (4) A munition-to-materials crosswalk for munitions and interceptors, detailing the critical defense minerals, energetics, materials, and industrial inputs required for production, including identification of the principal drivers of replenishment risk. (5) A prioritized assessment of the 10 most significant mineral, material, component, industrial, or processing bottlenecks limiting munitions replenishment and inventory reconstitution. (6) Recommendations for addressing the vulnerabilities identified under paragraphs (1) through (5), including-- (A) stockpile acquisition priorities and any additional legislative authorities or appropriations required to close identified gaps; (B) agreements with countries that are allies or partners of the United States necessary to establish assured supply arrangements for minerals and materials subject to adversary- controlled chokepoints; and (C) a plan for establishing a standing analytic capability within the Department of Defense-- (i) to translate operational munitions expenditure into critical defense mineral demand requirements; and (ii) to integrate critical mineral supply chain assessments into munitions acquisition milestone decisions, inventory management, and force-planning decisions. (c) Form.--The report required by subsection (a) shall be submitted in unclassified form but may include a classified annex. ______

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Text of Senate Amendment 6456 Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 106 (Wednesday, June 24, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 106 (Wednesday, June 24, 2026)] [Senate] [Page S3585] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] SA 6456. Mr. HICKENLOOPER 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 E of title X, insert the following: SEC. 1050. REPORT ON CRITICAL DEFENSE MINERAL REQUIREMENTS AND MUNITIONS SUPPLY CHAIN RESILIENCY. (a) In General.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense, in coordination with the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment, the Director of the Defense Logistics Agency Strategic Materials, and the Director of the United States Geological Survey, shall submit to the congressional defense committees a report assessing critical defense mineral requirements, stockpile alignment, and supply chain vulnerabilities for munitions production. (b) Elements.--The report required by subsection (a) shall include the following: (1) An assessment of the critical minerals and materials required-- (A) to replenish munitions expended in operations of the United States Central Command since February 2026 to pre- conflict inventory levels; (B) to achieve munitions inventory objectives across a range of contingency scenarios for the Indo-Pacific region of varying duration and intensity, reported as a demand range rather than a single estimate; and (C) to estimate the duration for which stockpile holdings and supply arrangements as of the date of the enactment of this Act can sustain munitions production at required rates before surge production in the United States or allies of the United States is required to provide replacement supply. (2) For each critical mineral identified under paragraph (1), a comprehensive mapping of sole-source and near-sole- source chokepoints, and chokepoints controlled by the People's Republic of China or other adversaries of the United States, across extraction, processing, refining, fabrication, and component manufacturing stages, assessed by mineral and by munition system. (3) An analysis of the alignment of the composition of the National Defense Stockpile with the mineral requirements identified under paragraph (1), including-- (A) critical minerals for which no stockpile holding exists as of the date of the enactment of this Act; (B) whether stockpiled minerals are held in forms and grades usable by the munitions industrial base without intermediate processing that reintroduces foreign dependency; and (C) critical defense mineral requirements associated with munitions programs of record in development or early production that are not captured in the assessment under paragraph (1). (4) A munition-to-materials crosswalk for munitions and interceptors, detailing the critical defense minerals, energetics, materials, and industrial inputs required for production, including identification of the principal drivers of replenishment risk. (5) A prioritized assessment of the 10 most significant mineral, material, component, industrial, or processing bottlenecks limiting munitions replenishment and inventory reconstitution. (6) Recommendations for addressing the vulnerabilities identified under paragraphs (1) through (5), including-- (A) stockpile acquisition priorities and any additional legislative authorities or appropriations required to close identified gaps; (B) agreements with countries that are allies or partners of the United States necessary to establish assured supply arrangements for minerals and materials subject to adversary- controlled chokepoints; and (C) a plan for establishing a standing analytic capability within the Department of Defense-- (i) to translate operational munitions expenditure into critical defense mineral demand requirements; and (ii) to integrate critical mineral supply chain assessments into munitions acquisition milestone decisions, inventory management, and force-planning decisions. (c) Form.--The report required by subsection (a) shall be submitted in unclassified form but may include a classified annex. ______