Floor SpeechNeutral2026-06-23

Text of Senate Amendment 5948

EnvironmentForeign PolicyDefenseChina

Context

On 2026-06-23, Senator Michael F. Bennet (D-CO) delivered a floor speech titled "Text Of Senate Amendment 5948" in the Senate.

Full Text

Text of Senate Amendment 5948

Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 105 (Tuesday, June 23, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 105 (Tuesday, June 23, 2026)] [Senate] [Page S3098] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] SA 5948. Mr. BENNET 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, add the following: SEC. 1050. REPORT ON CRITICAL MINERALS FOR USE BY DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE. Not later than October 1, 2026, the Secretary of Defense shall submit to the Committees on Armed Services of the Senate and the House of Representatives a report that includes-- (1) for each mineral on the most recent list of critical minerals required by section 7002(c) of the Energy Act of 2020 (30 U.S.C. 1606(c))-- (A) an assessment of whether the mineral is an input required for production of a material integral to the defense industrial base; (B) a description of the geographical dispersion of deposits of the mineral, refining and processing facilities for the mineral, and recycling facilities for the mineral; and (C) an assessment of the potential for byproduct recovery of the mineral at existing mines by foreign countries, with particular attention to portions of the supply chain that are concentrated in countries of concern such as the People's Republic of China; (2) a description of strategic investments, loans and loan guarantees, procurement policy reforms, grants, and other methods available to the Secretary to accelerate materials science, extraction and processing technologies, recycling, and tailing and byproduct recovery of critical minerals in the United States, and development of a mining workforce in the United States, to reduce the dependence of the Department of Defense on the People's Republic of China or other countries of concern; (3) an assessment of opportunities for strategic international partnerships to increase the security of supply chains for critical minerals; and (4) an assessment of opportunities for the Secretary to maximize recycling of decommissioned military waste to obtain critical materials. ______

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Text of Senate Amendment 5948 Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 105 (Tuesday, June 23, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 105 (Tuesday, June 23, 2026)] [Senate] [Page S3098] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] SA 5948. Mr. BENNET 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, add the following: SEC. 1050. REPORT ON CRITICAL MINERALS FOR USE BY DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE. Not later than October 1, 2026, the Secretary of Defense shall submit to the Committees on Armed Services of the Senate and the House of Representatives a report that includes-- (1) for each mineral on the most recent list of critical minerals required by section 7002(c) of the Energy Act of 2020 (30 U.S.C. 1606(c))-- (A) an assessment of whether the mineral is an input required for production of a material integral to the defense industrial base; (B) a description of the geographical dispersion of deposits of the mineral, refining and processing facilities for the mineral, and recycling facilities for the mineral; and (C) an assessment of the potential for byproduct recovery of the mineral at existing mines by foreign countries, with particular attention to portions of the supply chain that are concentrated in countries of concern such as the People's Republic of China; (2) a description of strategic investments, loans and loan guarantees, procurement policy reforms, grants, and other methods available to the Secretary to accelerate materials science, extraction and processing technologies, recycling, and tailing and byproduct recovery of critical minerals in the United States, and development of a mining workforce in the United States, to reduce the dependence of the Department of Defense on the People's Republic of China or other countries of concern; (3) an assessment of opportunities for strategic international partnerships to increase the security of supply chains for critical minerals; and (4) an assessment of opportunities for the Secretary to maximize recycling of decommissioned military waste to obtain critical materials. ______