Randy Weber: “Mr. Speaker, it is a shame. Instead of trying to score political points, the Democrats should support our efforts to…”

“Mr. Speaker, it is a shame. Instead of trying to score political points, the Democrats should support our efforts to address supply chain vulnerabilities that Communist China actively exploits to the detriment of these American people that we serve. Mr. Speaker, the intent of this bill is for the Department of Energy to take a holistic view of resources that are critical to the economic as well as the national security of the United States, regardless of the application. Mr. Speaker, this bill establishes DOE's overarching responsibility for the security of the supply chains of the energy sector. When the Department of Energy was organized in 1977, energy security was a core concern as a result of the oil crisis in the seventies. I was a teenager back then. I remember waiting in lines to get gasoline. Now, we face similar threats amidst the development of next-generation industries like AI as well as advanced manufacturing. Mr. Speaker, after decades of degrowth policies that drove energy production and refining abroad, our adversaries have exploited vulnerabilities and left American families susceptible to actions from places like Communist China. We have already seen Communist China take steps to limit exports of minerals, such as antimony, that are essential to defense manufacturing for things like radar systems.”