Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Critical Mineral Consistency Act topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Committee postpones consideration of Critical Mineral Consistency Act (S.714) to allow review of late amendment
Summary
The Senate committee postponed consideration of S.714, the Critical Mineral Consistency Act, after members were given a substitute amendment late; sponsors said the bill would ensure Department of Energy identifications are treated consistently across agencies and agreed to take up the item at the next business meeting.
The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee postponed consideration of S.714, the Critical Mineral Consistency Act, to allow members time to consider a substitute amendment circulated the previous day.
Committee leaders described the bipartisan bill as a measure to make the federal government ‘‘speak with one voice’’ on critical minerals by ensuring materials identified by the Department of Energy are treated consistently across federal lists and programs. As administered under the Energy Act of 2020, the Department of the Interior and Department of Energy maintain separate lists; committee members said the divergence creates uncertainty.
The chair said staff and members had worked on addressing concerns raised by ranking-member staff and that the base text had bipartisan support, but he agreed additional time was needed to review the substitute amendment. The committee announced it will consider S.714 at its next business meeting to give members adequate time to review the circulated changes.
Supporters said the change would remove red tape and better secure supply chains for critical minerals; some members indicated their concerns had been addressed in amendment form but requested more time for review. The postponement means S.714 will return to committee business for further debate and a possible recorded vote at a future meeting.
