(Washington DC)  – U. S. Senators Dean Heller (R-NV) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) today filed an amendment promoting the domestic production of critical minerals to the Currency Exchange Rate Oversight Reform bill currently being debated on the Senate floor. The amendment (S. Amdt. 673) would help create jobs by addressing the domestic critical minerals supply chain in a comprehensive way. 

The Senate Majority has moved to prevent votes on all amendments, but Heller hopes that they will change course and allow for consideration of this important amendment. 

“Within the United States are some of the largest concentrations of rare earth minerals in the world. Instead of developing resources within our borders, our nation is choosing to become increasingly dependent on foreign countries. At a time when Nevada is leading the country in unemployment, we need access to the natural resources in our backyard now more than ever. Government policy should support mineral development here at home, not one that discourages it,” said Heller.       

The amendment seeks to revitalize the United States’ critical minerals supply chain and reduce the nation’s growing dependence on foreign suppliers by providing a comprehensive set of policies to address each economic sector – from mining and processing to manufacturing and recycling – that relies on minerals that the U.S. Geological Survey determines to be critical to the economy.  

Heller co-authored similar legislation with Senator Murkowski, the Critical Minerals Policy Act (S. 1113), earlier this year. The bill, which has 19 bipartisan cosponsors, received a legislative hearing in the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Energy Subcommittee in June. No further action has been taken on the bill.