The Senate approved bipartisan legislation Wednesday to address the United States’ dependence on imports for a variety of minerals.
Lawmakers passed an amended version of S. 1871, from Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Chair Gary Peters (D-Mich.), meant to increase coordination among different levels of government on shoring up mineral supply chains for energy, economic and defense needs.
“This bill will strengthen our domestic critical minerals supply chain, create good-paying jobs, and ensure our advanced manufacturing sector can continue to compete on the global stage,” Peters said in a statement.
The bill, co-sponsored by Republican Sens. Mitt Romney of Utah and James Lankford of Oklahoma, passed committee last year. It cleared the Senate by unanimous consent.
