Pfluger, Newhouse Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Secure Domestic Critical Mineral Supply
Bill paves way for inclusion of uranium, other fuel minerals on critical minerals list
Rep. August Pfluger (TX-11) and Rep. Dan Newhouse (WA-04) introduced the Critical Minerals Classification Improvement Act to secure a domestic supply of critical minerals with bipartisan support.
“The United States is blessed with abundant natural resources. Unfortunately, climate alarmists have been fighting against reliable thermal power sources like natural gas and nuclear—leading to short-sighted policies that have crippled American energy independence,” said Rep. Pfluger. “Energy security is national security. We should not be reliant on our foreign adversaries like China and Russia to power our daily life. I am proud to lead this effort with Chairman Newhouse to strengthen America’s domestic energy production.”
“It is more important than ever that we secure our domestic supply of critical minerals, and that should absolutely include minerals with both fuel and non-fuel uses like uranium,” said Chairman Newhouse. “The United States cannot afford to rely on foreign countries like Russia, China, or their proxies for minerals that are critical for our energy future and our national security. This legislation is a commonsense reform that will ensure we have the critical minerals we need to thrive as a nation.” the struggling supply chain,” said Ruth Demeter, Senior Director of Policy for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Global Energy Institute. “This legislation corrects a missed opportunity for the federal government to analyze our foreign dependence on materials such as uranium from major exporters such as Russia. We commend Representatives Newhouse, Pfluger, Cuellar, and Gonzalez for their bipartisan leadership and look forward to working with them on this issue.”
“Current geopolitical forces, including the Russian invasion of Ukraine, highlight our supply chain vulnerability for several mineral commodities. Our reliance on foreign sources of minerals, often from countries not aligned with U.S. interests or values, comes with severe economic and national security implications,” said Mark Compton, Executive Director of the American Exploration & Mining Association. “The fact is uranium is a critical mineral for both energy and non-energy uses, and we need to treat it as such. It’s essential that we prioritize a strong, secure, and reliable domestic supply chain of the minerals that drive innovation, feed economic growth and improve our nation’s quality of life. We applaud the introduction of this common sense legislation.”
Pfluger Statement on 15 Possible Terrorists Caught Attempting to Cross the Southern Border in May
Representative August Pfluger (TX-11) released a statement following reports that at least 15 illegal immigrants listed on the FBI’s terror watch list were apprehended attempting to cross the southern border. The 15 were among the record-high 239,416 total illegal migrants apprehended in May, not including gotaways.
Representative August Pfluger: “It only took 19 evil actors to execute the deadly 9/11 attacks on American soil. Now, 15 possible terrorists have been caught in only one month. How many more are in the nearly 500,000 who got away in the past nine months alone?
“This number would still be hidden from the American public if not for the efforts of Ranking Member Katko and myself to force the Biden Administration to publish the number of Known and Suspected Terrorists (KSTs) apprehended along the border.”
“Border security IS national security.”
Pfluger Introduces Bill to Cut Burdensome Regulations and Bring Down Costs for Farmers and Ranchers
Representative August Pfluger (TX-11) joined Glenn “GT” Thompson, the Republican Leader of the House Agriculture Committee, in introducing H.R. 8069, the Reducing Farm Input Costs and Barriers to Domestic Production Act. The bill requires the Biden Administration to reverse its regulatory barriers to domestic agriculture production and provide immediate relief to families across the country.
Representative August Pfluger: “American families are being crushed by skyrocketing prices at the grocery store and beyond. Even still, the Biden Administration has failed to take action to increase American agriculture production and is instead choosing to impose additional regulations and tax increases on farmers and ranchers. This is unacceptable. It is time to cut the red tape and allow our producers to do what they do best—provide for the food security of our Nation.”
H.R. 8069 follows a letter sent by Representative Pfluger, Mr. Thompson, Republican Leader McCarthy, Minority Whip Steve Scalise, Republican Conference Chair Elise Stefanik, and 91 other Republicans. In the letter, the Members write that President Biden "has neglected to take serious action to increase American production," and by doing so, has limited "American farmers' ability to meet global food demand."