CHARM Act

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 9617, the CHARM Act, bipartisan legislation led by our committee's Environment Subcommittee Ranking Member Tonko and Chairman Palmer.

Critical minerals are a vital component of many modern technologies, from our cell phones to clean energy technologies like solar panels and electric vehicles. As the world continues to invest in these technologies, the demand for these minerals will only increase.

However, the United States is heavily reliant on imports for many critical materials, leaving us exposed to geopolitical supply chain risks. China currently possesses a stranglehold on much of the critical mineral supply chain and has already demonstrated a willingness to leverage this dominance by restricting exports to the United States and other countries. This poses serious economic and energy security risks.

Critical mineral recovery offers a resourceful solution to this problem. Looking at discarded materials like e-waste and other end-of- life products promotes resource efficiency, boosts resiliency, helps alleviate supply chain pressures, and reduces the need to mine new minerals.

This bipartisan bill directs the Environmental Protection Agency to carry out a national critical mineral recovery strategy to coordinate Federal efforts to recover critical minerals from discarded materials, tapping into an important domestic feedstock that is easily overlooked.

This strategy can help our Nation collect the information to bolster our domestic critical mineral supply chains. It will build on EPA's ongoing efforts under the bipartisan infrastructure law, without compromising the environment or public health.

For too long, we have allowed valuable critical minerals to go to landfills, never to be recovered. This must change if we want to remain globally competitive and reduce our dependence on foreign sources for critical minerals.

While there is much more work to do to scale our domestic recycling and recovery efforts, this is an important and commonsense step forward.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, the bipartisan CHARM Act is an important and commonsense bill. I urge my colleagues to support it, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 9617) to amend the Solid Waste Disposal Act to direct the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to coordinate a National Critical Mineral Recovery Strategy, and for other purposes.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks on the legislation and to include extraneous material on H.R. 9617.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleagues, Environment Subcommittee Chairman Palmer and Ranking Member Tonko, for introducing H.R. 9617, the Coordinating and Harnessing America's Recovery of Minerals Act, or CHARM Act.

Throughout this Congress, our committee has examined opportunities to recover critical minerals from discarded materials, such as mine waste, coal combustion materials, end-of-life electronics, and produced water.

The CHARM Act is a product of a lot of this work. This bill directs the EPA, in consultation with Federal agencies, to develop a national critical mineral recovery strategy in coordination with other Federal agencies. EPA already has the expertise in recovery of valuable materials from discarded materials, and the agency is well-positioned to lead these efforts.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues in the House to support the passage of this bipartisan legislation. I appreciate the hard work of Chairman Palmer and Ranking Member Tonko, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Alabama (Mr. Palmer), the chairman of the Environment Subcommittee and my good friend who has been an absolute leader on the critical mineral issue. We have seen that most of them are developed and processed in China, and he has been waving the flag that we need to get ahead of that. We now have an administration and Congress moving forward because of the work of this man.

Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the hard bipartisan work and can't overstate how important this is and how important the lead of the gentleman from Alabama has been on this issue. I strongly encourage a ``yes'' vote on this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman of the full committee, Mr. Guthrie, for all of his help.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to speak in support of my bill, H.R. 9617.

According to the United States Geological Survey, of the 33 important critical minerals--the majority of which that our country needs is being imported--the United States depends on China as a major source for 14 of them.

This should be a major source of concern to everyone because China has already demonstrated its willingness to leverage our supply chain vulnerabilities in recent years.

To address this alarming situation, my friend, Ranking Member Paul Tonko, and I, along with our colleagues on the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Environment, have explored opportunities to identify untapped, nontraditional sources of critical minerals right here in the United States.

The bipartisan CHARM Act is a product of these efforts throughout the 119th Congress. I thank my colleague, Ranking Member Tonko, again, for joining me in advancing this legislation.

This legislation directs the Environmental Protection Agency to work with other relevant agencies to develop a national critical mineral recovery strategy. In furthering this strategy, EPA will identify its own programs and authorities that could increase recovery of critical minerals from discarded materials, as well as those at other Federal agencies.

It will pinpoint opportunities to address legal and technological barriers to recovering critical minerals from discarded materials. EPA will also identify potential sources of critical minerals in discarded materials and evaluate the role of these recovered materials in strengthening domestic supply chains.

The committee advanced this legislation with across-the-board bipartisan support, and I encourage my colleagues in the full House to support its passage.