House Subcommittee to Address Domestic Production of Critical Minerals Amid Regulatory Challenges and Competition with China.

A House subcommittee is set to hold a hearing on securing the domestic production of critical minerals, such as lithium, zinc and cobalt, to help the U.S. compete with China. The hearing will focus on the construction of electric vehicle battery plants and other facilities that require raw materials. However, the domestic mining sector has reported that project approval and expansion isn’t keeping pace. House Energy and Commerce Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers and Rep. Buddy Carter, who lead the Environment, Manufacturing and Critical Materials Subcommittee, emphasized the need for increased domestic supply of critical materials. They also highlighted the current regulatory landscape as a barrier to permitting the mining, processing, and refining of these materials domestically.