Information
Organization's Own Description:
The Congressional Critical Materials Caucus will serve as an informal group of Members interested in working together to explore the United States’ dependence on critical materials from foreign countries, including rare earth elements, and how to establish a reliable domestic supply of these resources vital to our national, energy, and economic security. The caucus will discuss applicable public policy questions and raise awareness among other Members of Congress and the public about this issue.
ECEs are crucial for manufacturing advanced technologies including cell phones, laptops, jet engines, gas and wind turbines, nuclear reactors, solar panels, and more. A shortage of these elements could significantly impede Americans’ ability to afford and use these technologies, and would hurt both our global competitiveness and our national security.
Unfortunately, the United States now is import-dependent for many of these elements. China now produces 80 percent of the world’s rare earth element supply and 75 percent of permanent magnets containing those elements. In 2010, China temporarily cut off rare earth supplies to Japan, the European Union, and the United States – highlighting the potential consequences to the United States for relying so heavily upon China for these assets.
In 2013, the Department of Energy established a limited-term Critical Materials Institute to help ensure a reliable supply of these elements, but neither this institute nor an underlying, ongoing ECE research program have ever been properly authorized.
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