The House passed Republican legislation on critical minerals and geothermal energy Thursday with some support from Democrats.
The chamber voted 245-155 for the “Critical Mineral Consistency Act,” H.R. 8446, sponsored by Rep. Juan Ciscomani (R-Ariz.), which would combine the Department of Energy’s list of critical materials with the U.S. Geological Survey’s own roster. Forty-four Democrats voted for the bill.
A major point of contention surrounding the proposal is whether copper should be on the USGS list. It’s currently not. And critics argue adding it would give copper miners federal subsidies and streamlined permitting.
House Natural Resources Chair Bruce Westerman of Arkansas noted the two lists mostly overlap. Westerman also pointed to comments from a senior USGS official earlier this year, who said the agency supported the bill as a way to manage the two lists.
