John Curtis: “I first would like to return the appreciation to the chairman of the Natural Resources Committee and for the opportunity…”

“I first would like to return the appreciation to the chairman of the Natural Resources Committee and for the opportunity to work with him. I think he is a great example of what a chairperson should do in Congress. To my good friend from Michigan, I thank her. I am not going that far away, and I look forward to continuing to work with her. She is a wonderful example to me of passion and love for what she does, and the people of Michigan are fortunate to have her represent them. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of my bill, the Recognizing the Importance of Critical Minerals in Healthcare Act. I also thank Congresswoman DeGette for her partnership in advancing this important initiative. This legislation addresses a critical gap in the process for identifying minerals essential to our Nation. Under current law, the U.S. Geological Survey collaborates with various government agencies to assess and designate critical minerals vital to our national security. However, one key agency is glaringly absent from this process: the Department of Health and Human Services, HHS. HHS plays a central role in our healthcare system, yet it has been excluded from decisions about minerals critical to the medical technologies and treatments that Americans rely on every day. For example, helium is necessary for medical imaging. MRIs require nearly 2,000 liters of helium to maintain the magnets that make them functional.…”