The ongoing global shortage of semiconductors and overreliance on foreign adversaries like China prompted U.S. Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-WA) and several of his Republican colleagues to urge the Biden administration to increase domestic critical mineral production.
“The Chinese Communist Party is a threat to American democracy, and we must respond with tough policies that will protect our domestic supply chains — especially for the critical minerals that play an indispensable role in our economy and the semiconductor industry,” said Rep. Newhouse. “Communities in central Washington and across the nation thrive when our resources are sourced right here at home, and the Biden administration must act now to empower domestic production and enhance our global competitiveness.”
Rep. Newhouse joined nine of his colleagues, including U.S. Reps. Ashley Hinson (R-IA) and Buddy Carter (R-GA), in sending a July 21 letter to the U.S. secretaries of Defense, Energy, and the Interior calling for boosted domestic mineral production in America.
“Many critical minerals, such as gallium, germanium, tantalum, and certain rare earth elements, are essential to producing chips and are plentiful here at home,” the lawmakers wrote. “Gallium has deposits situated in the United States with over 46,000 metric tons of materials — yet over 53 percent of the gallium our country uses is imported from China.”
For example, they pointed out that in 2022, gallium metal imports from China increased by an estimated 34 percent according to the U.S. Geological Survey’s Mineral Commodity Summaries of 2023.
The members also pointed out that Congress recently provided the U.S. Department of Energy and the U.S. Department of the Interior with updated direction and dedicated funding for their critical minerals and microelectronics R&D activities in bipartisan laws like the Energy Act of 2020 and the CHIPS and Science Act, and asked that they prioritize the full implementation of these laws.
“The need to address the critical mineral shortage, specifically for chip production, is paramount to our economic growth and national security,” wrote Rep. Newhouse and his colleagues. “Together, we can ensure a robust and secure process for the mining and extraction of domestic materials for the semiconductor industry, thereby safeguarding the future prosperity of this industry that is chief to our position as a global leader on the international stage.”