Bipartisan Bill Would Create $2.5B Agency to Build U.S. Critical Minerals Reserve
Lawmakers propose a $2.5 billion Strategic Resilience Reserve to stockpile rare earths and critical minerals, aiming to stabilize prices and reduce U.S. dependence on China.
Overview
Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) and Todd Young (R-Ind.) introduced legislation to create a $2.5 billion Strategic Resilience Reserve to stockpile rare earths and critical minerals.
The reserve would be governed by a seven-person board modeled on the Federal Reserve, with presidential appointments and Senate confirmation, overseeing purchases, storage, and price stabilization.
Board could buy minerals from domestic mines, recyclers or allied producers, even paying above-market prices to support U.S. supply chains and create Western pricing benchmarks.
The Pentagon has already invested nearly $5 billion in critical-mineral deals, including stakes in MP Materials and Atlantic Alumina, signaling government willingness to intervene in strategic supply chains.
Supporters say the bill reduces vulnerability to Chinese market leverage and protects national security; critics warn it could resemble state capitalism and risk political interference.
Analysis
Center-leaning sources present the story as a bipartisan, national-security imperative, using urgent language ('chokehold', 'beholden', 'drastic move') and privileging government, Pentagon, and industry voices. Quote selection emphasizes strategic rationale and market-based fixes while omitting Chinese, environmental, and critical economic perspectives, producing a framing that normalizes intervention.
Sources (3)
FAQ
Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) and Todd Young (R-Ind.) introduced the legislation.
The reserve would be governed by a seven-person board modeled on the Federal Reserve, with presidential appointments and Senate confirmation.
The reserve aims to stockpile rare earths and critical minerals to stabilize prices, reduce U.S. dependence on China, support domestic supply chains, and create Western pricing benchmarks by purchasing from domestic mines, recyclers, or allied producers.
Critics warn that the bill could resemble state capitalism and risk political interference.
The Pentagon has invested nearly $5 billion in critical-mineral deals, including stakes in MP Materials and Atlantic Alumina, indicating government intervention in strategic supply chains.
History
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