Today, the Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources held a legislative hearing on four bills to support the development of domestic minerals, support quicker timelines in the land appeals process and facilitate a land transfer for the Crow Tribe of Montana. Subcommittee Chairman Pete Stauber (R-Minn.) issued the following statement in response:

"America has the opportunity not only to be critical mineral independent, but also critical mineral dominant. I am grateful that our Subcommittee had the chance to consider these four bills that will help domestic mining projects move forward because we can no longer tolerate the Chinese Communist Party’s tight grip over the critical minerals needed for American fighter jets, cellphones, lifesaving medical devices, EVs, and so many other products that Americans need and use daily."

Background

H.R. 7807, the Intergovernmental Critical Minerals Task Force Act, introduced by U.S. Rep. Jay Obernolte (R-Calif.), would establish an intergovernmental critical minerals task force to facilitate cooperation between federal, state, and local governments and industry representatives to decrease the U.S.’s reliance on adversarial nations for critical minerals.

H.R. 8952, the Crow Revenue Act, introduced by U.S. Rep. Ryan Zinke (R-Mont.), will transfer about 4,600 acres of private subsurface inholdings from the Hope Family Tracts on the Crow Reservation to the Crow Tribe of Montana. In exchange, the Hope Family Trust would receive 4,530 acres of federal subsurface and 940 acres of federal surface interest. The bill also provides for a Revenue Sharing Agreement for the development of the transferred federal tracts, which will be determined by the Tribe and the Hope Family Trust should the minerals be developed later.  

H.R. 1005, the Expedited Appeals Review Act, introduced by U.S. Rep. Harriet Hageman (R-Wyo.), will streamline the Interior Board of Land Appeals (ILBA) processes for resolving disputes involving public lands and natural resources. 

H.R. 7662, the Critical Minerals Security Act of 2024, introduced by U.S. Rep. Chrissy Houlahan (D-Pa.), will require the Department of the Interior (DOI) to provide reports to Congress outlining details about the global mineral supply chain. It also directs the Secretary of the Interior to develop a strategy to collaborate with allied countries to establish advanced mining, refining, separation, processing technologies and intellectual property sharing methods.

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