EMA Urges Full Passage of the Critical Minerals Dominance Act

Arlington, Va., Feb. 5, 2025 – The Essential Minerals Association (EMA) today called for full passage of Critical Minerals Dominance Act (H.R. 4090) after it passed the House of Representatives yesterday. This legislation takes meaningful action to secure domestic mineral supply chains.

“The Critical Minerals Dominance Act is an essential step toward restoring U.S. leadership in the production of minerals that underpin our economy, national security, and modern infrastructure,” said Chris Greissing, EMA president. “By prioritizing domestic mineral development and strengthening supply chain resilience, this legislation recognizes that a secure minerals supply is foundational to manufacturing, energy systems, and defense readiness. Full enactment of this bill would send a clear signal that the United States is serious about competing globally and securing the resources that make our economy work.”

The legislation directs the Department of the Interior (DOI) to revise or rescind agency actions that hinder mining projects, recommend reforms of current mining laws to Congress, and conduct a nationwide review of state and local laws impeding mineral exploration and development. The bill will also require DOI to identify and approve mining projects that can be expeditiously permitted and made operational as well as continue prioritization of accurate national mapping of hardrock mineral resources.

The provisions of H.R. 4090 all represent necessary actions to securing domestic mineral supply chains. Congress and the administration need to identify lands with strong mineral potential and rapidly approve projects which can reduce our reliance on imported mineral resources. Further, the bill’s requirement to remove regulatory regimes that present unnecessary barriers or delays to opening a mine is key to ensuring that projects can be approved and start operating as quickly as possible.

The United States faces national and economic security challenges in securing the minerals needed to secure our supply chain. Domestic production of these minerals is critical to reducing dependence on foreign hostile nations like China for important mineral resources. H.R. 4090 represents a series of steps in the right direction toward securing our domestic mineral supply chains and securing American mineral independence.

EMA urges the Senate to pass this act quickly so this bill can be signed into law.

The Essential Minerals Association (EMA) is the representative voice for companies that extract and process a vital and beneficial group of raw materials and minerals, which are the essential ingredients for many of the products used in everyday life. EMA ensures that the voices of its member companies and the socio-economic benefits they provide – from mining to end-use products – are heard by government leaders as well as the general public. Visit essentialminerals.org to learn more.

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