News: INR CERAWEEK-As EV demand rises, Biden officials warm to new mines, page-2

Senators Murkowski, Manchin, Risch and Cassidy Urge Administration to Meet Domestic Mineral Demand, Address Supply Chain CrisisU.S. Senators Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Joe Manchin (D-WV), Chairman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, Jim Risch (R-ID), and Bill Cassidy (R-LA) wrote a letter to President Joe Biden stressing the urgency for the United States to strengthen America’s mineral security. They call upon him to invoke the Defense Production Act to rebuild the capacity of key sectors and value-chains by domestically producing and processing critical minerals, such as battery metals like lithium and graphite. In their letter, the Senators acknowledge President Biden’s Executive Order 14017 and the associated 100-day review that recognized America’s ongoing supply chain crisis, but cite America’s vulnerabilities that must be addressed.“Allowing our foreign mineral dependence to persist is a growing threat to U.S. national security, and we need to take every step to address it. The 100-day report acknowledges the ‘powerful tool’ the Defense Production Act(DPA) has been to expand production of supplies needed to combat COVID-19, as well as the potential the DPA could have to ‘support investment in other critical sectors and enable industry and government to collaborate more effectively.’ The time is now to grow, support, and encourage investment in the domestic production of graphite, manganese, cobalt, lithium, nickel, and other critical minerals to ensure we support our national security, and to fulfill our need for lithium-ion batteries – both for consumers and for the Department of Defense,” the Senators said in part.The Senators reaffirmed their commitment to work with the President in a bipartisan manner to take on this emerging crisis, to ensure that America’s critical mineral supply chains are strong, responsibly produced, and ethically sourced.