Today, the Full Committee on Natural Resources is holding a markup on 18 bills including legislation that will help develop critical and strategic minerals. Critical and strategic minerals are fundamental components of technologies and everyday items ranging from cell phones, building materials and motor vehicles to personal hygiene products.
Over 66 individual minerals are used to make the typical computer, including silver, aluminum, copper and gold.
Four rare earth minerals are required to make a hybrid vehicle: dysprosium, lanthanum, neodymium and praseodymium.