Congress is unlikely to make big moves during the lame-duck session to financially support critical mineral projects battered by an influx of cheap Chinese materials, but there are still a host of bills that may reach the president’s desk.
Bipartisan lawmakers in both chambers have for months telegraphed their intent to combat Beijing’s dominance and introduce a package of bills by the year’s end to secure U.S. critical mineral supply chains.
Their ultimate goal is to boost domestic projects that mine or process lithium, cobalt, nickel and other materials tied to national security and the energy transition — from electric vehicles to renewables. But the window for action is closing and likely to spill into next year.
A bipartisan group of House members working under the House select China committee — known as the Critical Minerals Policy Working Group — may be holding off on floating legislation that would create a multibillion-dollar reserve of minerals because the language isn’t “ready for prime time,” according to a person familiar with discussions outside of Capitol Hill who was granted anonymity to speak freely.
