The House Foreign Affairs Committee on Wednesday approved bipartisan legislation that would revive a State Department energy diplomacy bureau dismantled last year by the Trump administration.
The panel voted 45-0 for H.R. 7037, the “Developing Overseas Mineral Investments and New Allied Networks for Critical Energies (DOMINANCE) Act,” from Reps. Young Kim (R-Calif.) and Ami Bera (D-Calif.). The bill has more than two dozen bipartisan co-sponsors.
The legislation would reestablish an office akin to the defunct Bureau of Energy Resources, which helped connect U.S. exporters of domestic oil, gas and renewable energy technology to buyers overseas. Its work was folded into an economics and business affairs section at State.
The proposal would create the Bureau of Energy Security and Diplomacy to focus on energy security, critical minerals and infrastructure and serve as a hub for strategy.
The bill would also provide the State Department with temporary, expedited hiring authorities to prioritize rehiring experts who left the administration because of workforce cuts.
Kim said the bureau will “help President Trump and future presidents negotiate minerals deals, navigate the intersection of energy and geopolitics, and sell more American oil and natural gas around the world.”
Before the vote, Rep. Keith Self (R-Texas) said he opposed the legislation, arguing the bill appeared to provide $150 million for minerals work, as well as language regarding labor rights and the environment. But Kim clarified the bill would cap — and would not authorize — new spending to $150 million.
The bill would also codify and formalize the United States’ participation in the Forum on Resource Geostrategic Engagement, a successor of the Mineral Security Partnership. The language calls on the secretary of State to coordinate with allied governments on joint ventures, information sharing, project databases and investment in minerals.
Last year, the committee approved Kim’s H.R. 5248, which also included a provision to create a Bureau of Energy Security and Diplomacy at State to promote energy exports and manage sanctions tied to oil, gas and other natural resources. That bill would also create a position for an assistant secretary to lead the bureau.
One avenue for getting language from the bills passed is the upcoming defense authorization bill, according to House Foreign Affairs Chair Brian Mast (R-Fla.).
Sens. Chris Coons (D-Del.) and Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.) last month floated a bill of their own that would establish an Office of Energy Security Pacts within State. It would require the office to coordinate with a host of departments — including Energy, Interior and Commerce — to establish 10-year pacts with low- and middle-income partner countries to develop their energy and electricity sectors.
