Townhall gives rare earths much needed attention

This week, Townhall’s Marita Noon turned her attention to rare earth elements (REEs), critical minerals that are key to today’s advanced technologies, including every modern vehicle, cell phone and computer chip. Beyond contemporary luxuries, rare earths are critical components of many defense technologies.

Noon discusses the current landscape for rare earths, highlighting the unfortunate near-monopoly that China holds over the world’s supply of these minerals. In fact, China’s export policies were recently deemed unfair by the World Trade Organization.

Noon also highlighted two pieces of U.S. legislation that aim to amend our broken regulatory environment: the National Strategic and Critical Minerals Production Act of 2013( HR 761), which recently passed in the House of Representatives, and The Critical Minerals Policy Act of 2013, which was introduced by Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee. Both enjoy  bi-partisan support.

“America’s REE resources and potential production and refining give us a strong global advantage,” she said. “But we must accelerate and streamline the permitting process. It is time for our government to make policy that is designed to benefit its own.”