Political Quotes

“Madam Speaker, H.R. 4447, the Clean Economy and Jobs Innovation Act, authorizes research and development activities across the Department of Energy's applied energy programs. As my colleagues have noted, while there are several bipartisan provisions in this package, they are outweighed, unfortunately, by partisan priorities in a rushed and irresponsible legislative process. I think, by now, we can all recognize how many missed opportunities for true bipartisanship have been complicated by this approach. Critical minerals is certainly one of them. Critical minerals play a vital role in our everyday lives. Battery storage, defense systems, healthcare equipment, medicines, things that impact U.S. national security, economic growth, and energy independence are all reliant on secure and safe access to critical minerals. However, currently, the United States is dependent on other countries for 31 of 35 critical minerals identified by the Department of the Interior; and of these, 14 are imported to the U.S. at a rate of 100 percent. On the list are lithium and graphite that power clean energy solutions, all of which are controlled by China. China, in fact, holds an overwhelming advantage in access to critical minerals, and the COVID-19 pandemic has made it dangerously clear that we cannot, as a nation, rely on China for our essential resources. In May, I introduced H.R.…”