Duval Times

Senate Select Committee on Intelligence Chairman Mark R. Warner (D-VA) and Vice Chairman Marco Rubio (R-FL) convened an unclassified roundtable discussion on critical minerals financing, emphasizing the need for the United States to secure reliable sources of components essential to critical national security technologies.

In a joint statement, Warner and Rubio highlighted the importance of identifying secure sources of critical minerals, which are crucial components for technologies critical to national security. This includes military equipment and defense systems, vehicles, and the energy grid. Currently, China dominates the mining, refining, and processing of these minerals, controlling nearly 100 percent of the end-to-end supply chain. Moreover, China is actively seeking to control additional resources, posing a potential threat to the United States' supply chain resilience.

To address this challenge, Warner and Rubio stressed the need for proactive measures to secure investments and operations of critical minerals projects, both domestically and abroad. They emphasized the importance of collaboration with allies to establish a resilient supply chain for these minerals. By doing so, the United States can reduce its dependence on China and ensure the availability of critical minerals for its national security needs.

The bipartisan roundtable brought together key industry leaders, U.S. government officials, and colleagues of Warner and Rubio. The participants discussed strategies to unlock investment in critical minerals projects and increase operations, both within the United States and abroad. The goal is to meet the exponential demand increases for these minerals and reduce reliance on China.

Warner and Rubio expressed their satisfaction with the roundtable and their commitment to continuing this work with responsible stakeholders. By fostering collaboration between the public and private sectors, they aim to develop a comprehensive approach to address the challenges posed by China's dominance in the critical minerals sector.

Click this link to access more information: https://www.rubio.senate.gov/senate-intelligence-committee-leaders-host-public-private-roundtable-on-critical-minerals/