Both parties agree that the U.S. will need more critical minerals to fuel the expansion of clean energy, but recent actions from the Biden administration blocking two major mining projects have drawn Republican criticism that it will be unable to meet future demand.
On Tuesday the House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources will consider a bill introduced by subcommittee Chairman Pete Stauber, R-Minn., that would set timelines for federal environmental reviews for mineral development projects and require any legal challenge to be filed within a year of the permit being issued. The bill has the support of industry groups, including the National Mining Association, the American Exploration and Mining Association, and the Uranium Producers of America.
Stauber said the current permitting landscape is “abused by keep-it-in-the-ground activists who oppose mining solely on ideological grounds.”
