House Passes Permitting Reform That Will Help Secure American Supply Chains And Loosen China’s Grip on Critical Minerals

Today, the House passed permitting reform legislation that will expedite America’s development of natural resources and critical minerals. The Standardizing Permitting and Expediting Economic Development Act (SPEED) would reform the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and require federal courts to resolve challenges brought under NEPA within 180 days.

“China fired a loaded gun with its rare earths rule in October, and while that threat was paused after President Trump met with General Secretary Xi Jinping, we must seize the opportunity to develop strategic reserves of critical minerals. The SPEED Act will help make that possible by cutting red tape, streamlining the permitting process, and making it easier to develop the resources the American people need every day,” said Select Committee on China Chairman John Moolenaar.

More information on what the SPEED Act would do is available here.

The Select Committee on China released an investigation last month detailing how China manipulates the critical minerals market.

"From cell phones to fighter jets, every American is dependent on minerals that China manipulates for its own selfish interests. As we saw last month with its rule on rare earths, China has a loaded gun that is pointed at our economy, and we must act quickly. China’s predatory practices have caused American job losses, driven American miners out of business, and jeopardized national security. This new investigation reveals China’s playbook and makes crucial recommendations for how we can secure our future for generations to come," said Moolenaar when the report was published.