{"id":1415212,"date":"2022-04-01T15:15:24","date_gmt":"2022-04-01T19:15:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1415212"},"modified":"2022-04-01T15:16:03","modified_gmt":"2022-04-01T19:16:03","slug":"bidens-executive-actions-on-critical-minerals-are-empty-symbolism-critics-say","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/bidens-executive-actions-on-critical-minerals-are-empty-symbolism-critics-say\/","title":{"rendered":"Biden\u2019s Executive Actions On Critical Minerals Are Empty Symbolism, Critics Say"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">22<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fbidens-executive-actions-on-critical-minerals-are-empty-symbolism-critics-say%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1415212&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><ul>\n<li><strong>While experts and Republican lawmakers commended President Joe Biden for acknowledging the importance of domestic critical mineral production, they criticized him for not reforming the burdensome regulatory process for approving U.S. mines.<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>On Thursday, Biden used the Defense Production Act to order his administration to pursue more U.S. production and cut the nation off from foreign supply chains.<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>\u201cWhile it\u2019s encouraging to see the Biden Administration acknowledge the importance of domestic critical mineral mining, we will never win the clean energy arms race if we don\u2019t also reform the permitting process that is holding back climate progress,\u201d Christopher Barnard, the American Conservation Coalition\u2019s national policy director, said in a statement.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>President Joe Biden issued a directive Thursday invoking Cold War powers to boost domestic critical minerals production, but critics argued the action was mostly symbolic.<\/p>\n<p>The president will use the Defense Production Act \u2014 a 1950 law <a href=\"https:\/\/sgp.fas.org\/crs\/natsec\/R43767.pdf\">designed<\/a> to help the federal government mobilize a domestic response to the threat of war \u2014 to \u201csecure\u201d the domestic production of critical minerals specifically needed in electric vehicle and renewable storage batteries, the White House <a href=\"https:\/\/www.whitehouse.gov\/briefing-room\/statements-releases\/2022\/03\/31\/fact-sheet-president-bidens-plan-to-respond-to-putins-price-hike-at-the-pump\/\">announced<\/a> Thursday. Under the president\u2019s order, the Department of Defense will be authorized to support additional mining and refining projects using \u201cstrong environmental, labor, community and tribal consultation standards.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>But Biden\u2019s action Thursday failed to address the regulatory and permitting process advocates have asked him to reform.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cUnless we continue to build on this action, and get serious about reshoring these supply chains and bringing new mines and mineral processing online, we risk feeding the minerals dominance of geopolitical rivals,\u201d National Mining Association (NMA) President and CEO Rich Nolan said in a statement shared with the DCNF. \u201cWe have abundant mineral resources here.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat we need is policy to ensure we can produce them and build the secure, reliable supply chains we know we must have,\u201d he continued. <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/dailycaller.com\/2022\/03\/31\/joe-biden-congress-oil-companies-white-house\/\">(RELATED: Biden Asks Congress To Punish Oil Companies For Not Drilling More)<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Chris Wood, president and CEO of the conservation group Trout Unlimited, said pushing for an expansion of critical mineral production while not reforming the current regulatory framework is \u201cakin to building a new home on a foundation of rotting wood,\u201d in a statement shared with the DCNF.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_7402541\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\">\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-7402541\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Lavendar Pit at Copper Queen Mine in Bisbee, Arizona is pictured on July 24, 2020. (Frederic J. Brown\/AFP via Getty Images)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>Minerals such as cobalt, copper, lithium, nickel, graphite and zinc are essential for the production of electric vehicle batteries, battery storage facilities, solar panels and wind turbines, a 2021 International Energy Agency report <a href=\"https:\/\/iea.blob.core.windows.net\/assets\/24d5dfbb-a77a-4647-abcc-667867207f74\/TheRoleofCriticalMineralsinCleanEnergyTransitions.pdf\">showed<\/a>. However, China, Russia and other hostile nations currently dominate the global production of such materials.<\/p>\n<p>China alone controlled about 55% of the world\u2019s mining capacity and 85% of global mineral refining in 2020, a White House supply chain report from June\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.whitehouse.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/100-day-supply-chain-review-report.pdf#page=9\">concluded<\/a>. The U.S., meanwhile, has fallen far behind in the global race to secure critical mineral supply chains, <a href=\"https:\/\/pubs.usgs.gov\/periodicals\/mcs2022\/\">producing<\/a> between 0-6% of many of the most important materials. <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/dailycaller.com\/2022\/04\/01\/environmentalists-activists-green-new-deal-pledge-lawmakers\/\">(RELATED: Far-Left Activists Demand Lawmakers To Sign $94 Trillion \u2018Green New Deal\u2019 Pledge)<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m going to use the Defense Production Act to secure American supply chains for the critical materials that go into batteries for electric vehicles and the storage of renewable energy: lithium, graphite, nickel, and so much more,\u201d Biden <a href=\"https:\/\/www.whitehouse.gov\/briefing-room\/speeches-remarks\/2022\/03\/31\/remarks-by-president-biden-on-actions-to-lower-gas-prices-at-the-pump-for-american-families\/\">remarked<\/a> at the White House on Thursday. \u201cWe need to end our long-term reliance on China and other countries for inputs that will power the future. And I\u2019ll use every tool I have to make that happen.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Mining advocates and GOP lawmakers have <a href=\"https:\/\/dailycaller.com\/2022\/03\/10\/joe-biden-green-transition-energy-independence-critical-minerals-renewables\/\">pointed<\/a> to environmental regulations and the <a href=\"https:\/\/dailycaller.com\/2021\/10\/06\/joe-biden-administration-national-environmental-policy-act-climate-change-infrastructure\/\">burdensome<\/a> permitting process for mining projects as the main reason why the U.S. is lagging behind competitors. On average, it takes about 10 years for a company to receive approval to begin mining, one of the longest wait times worldwide, <a href=\"https:\/\/nma.org\/2020\/07\/15\/nepa-reform-provides-a-critical-step-forward-to-address-permitting-inefficiencies\/\">according<\/a> to the NMA.<\/p>\n<p>One Idaho-based project, a mine with antimony which is important for batteries, is expected to receive approval 17 years after the key mineral was first discovered at the site, its vice president of external affairs previously <a href=\"https:\/\/dailycaller.com\/2021\/12\/10\/environmentalists-climate-change-renewable-energy-mining-resources\/\">told<\/a> the Daily Caller News Foundation.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhile it\u2019s encouraging to see the Biden Administration acknowledge the importance of domestic critical mineral mining, we will never win the clean energy arms race if we don\u2019t also reform the permitting process that is holding back climate progress,\u201d Christopher Barnard, the American Conservation Coalition\u2019s national policy director, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.acc.eco\/blog\/2022\/oti-critical-minerals\">said<\/a> in a blog post.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_7388910\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-7388910\" class=\"size-full wp-image-7388910\" src=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-1272622347-scaled-1.jpg\" alt=\"Rep. Pete Stauber joins fellow House Republicans while introducing their proposed legislative agenda in September 2020. (Chip Somodevilla\/Getty Images)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-1272622347-scaled-1.jpg 2560w, https:\/\/cdn01.dailycaller.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/GettyImages-1272622347-180x120.jpg 180w, https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-1272622347-620x413-1.jpg 620w, https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-1272622347-768x512-1.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-1272622347-1536x1024-1.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-1272622347-2048x1365-1.jpg 2048w\" \/><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-7388910\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Rep. Pete Stauber joins fellow House Republicans while introducing their proposed legislative agenda in September 2020. (Chip Somodevilla\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>The Biden administration has also repeatedly stood in the way of mining projects around the country.<\/p>\n<p>Over the last 14 months, the federal government <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/usda-apache-land-arizona-copper-mine-1da6e5c9713fc85b824c80c6dac5b834\">blocked<\/a> an Arizona copper mine, withdrew access to 10 million acres of land in Wyoming for mineral exploration, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/2022\/feb\/23\/biden-alaska-mining-road\">issued roadblocks<\/a> for a copper mine in Alaska and complicated the permitting process for a Nevada lithium mine, Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee Ranking Member John Barrasso <a href=\"https:\/\/www.energy.senate.gov\/2022\/3\/barrasso-despite-his-climate-pledges-president-biden-has-done-nothing-to-fix-american-mineral-permitting\">said<\/a> during a hearing Thursday. The Biden administration also <a href=\"https:\/\/www.doi.gov\/pressreleases\/interior-department-takes-action-mineral-leases-improperly-renewed-watershed-boundary\">nixed the permits<\/a> for a Minnesota mine that would have produced copper, nickel, cobalt and platinum.<\/p>\n<p>Barrasso added that the U.S. won\u2019t see a \u201cmeaningful increase in American mineral production\u201d until Biden streamlines mine permitting. <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/dailycaller.com\/2022\/03\/31\/joe-biden-strategic-petroleum-reserve-crude-oil-gasoline-prices\/\">(RELATED: Biden Plans To Release More Oil From Emergency Stockpile. Will It Work?)<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe must look at this Administration\u2019s actions, not their words. Without any permitting reform, our domestic mining industry will continue to run into roadblocks,\u201d Minnesota Rep. Pete Stauber, the top Republican on the Natural Resources Energy and Mineral Subcommittee, told the DCNF in a statement. \u201cWe need to shorten permit review lengths and stop the weaponization of frivolous lawsuits.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOnly with these steps can the United States truly achieve mineral independence, end our over-reliance on adversarial nations like Russia and China, and unleash the American energy sector using American workers,\u201d he continued.<\/p>\n<p>House Natural Resources Committee Ranking Member Bruce Westerman and House Energy and Commerce Committee Ranking Member Cathy McMorris Rodgers also <a href=\"https:\/\/republicans-energycommerce.house.gov\/news\/rodgers-and-westerman-bidens-critical-minerals-announcement-misses-bigger-picture\/\">slammed<\/a> the administration for not going further on Thursday.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt will be irrelevant if (Biden) doesn\u2019t simultaneously streamline permitting processes for domestic production. Without this, mineral production here in the U.S. will continue stalling in a morass of bureaucratic red tape while China and our adversaries run laps around us,\u201d Westerman said.<\/p>\n<p>Content created by The Daily Caller News Foundation is available without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a large audience. For licensing opportunities of our original content, please contact <a href=\"mailto:licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org\">licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>While experts and Republican lawmakers commended President Joe Biden for acknowledging the importance of domestic critical mineral production, they criticized him for not reforming the burdensome regulatory process for approving<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":181,"featured_media":2315279,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1415212","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1415212","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/181"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1415212"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1415212\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2315279"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1415212"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1415212"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1415212"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}