Today, the Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources held an oversight hearing to examine the importance of the Earth Mapping Resources Initiative (Earth MRI) and its role in supporting critical minerals that drive the economy and strengthen national security. Subcommittee Chairman Pete Stauber (R‑Minn.) issued the following statement in response:

“America, including my great state of Minnesota, is blessed with an abundance of critical minerals that can help our nation lead the way in the 21st century. Despite this vast mineral wealth, our nation is currently dependent on foreign adversarial nations for the many minerals necessary for modern manufacturing, energy technologies and national defense. The first step in securing American mineral independence is unlocking domestic mineral intelligence. I am grateful for the chance to lead today’s subcommittee hearing on the need to reauthorize the U.S. Geological Survey’s Earth MRI program, which will help allow us to fully understand the mineral wealth beneath our feet. As Congress seeks to reauthorize this program later this year, I look forward to strengthening Earth MRI and taking it to the next level, including increasing the program’s focus on advanced mapping of known mineral deposits like the Duluth Complex in Northern Minnesota. I thank our witnesses today for underscoring the need to gather the intelligence necessary to advance this mission and ultimately secure our domestic mineral security.”

Background

The U.S. Geological Survey’s (USGS) Earth MRI program is focused on updating how we map the country’s surface and subsurface resources. The program gathers a variety of geologic, geophysical, geochemical and topographic data to help identify things like mineral resources, hazards, mine waste and abandoned wells. To carry out this work, USGS collaborates with state geological surveys, universities and other partners to collect field data, run lab analyses and use remote sensing across the country. The program, whose authorization expires at the end of FY 2026, has received broad support from government and industry stakeholders.

House Committee on Natural Resources Republicans and the Trump administration know that critical minerals are increasingly important for national security, the economy and modern supply chains. Earth MRI supports U.S. critical mineral dominance by producing the surface and subsurface maps that are the first step in the mineral exploration process, helping lead to new discoveries and encouraging private investment.