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Lawmakers and experts warn rare‑earth, workforce and budget shortfalls threaten U.S. space competitiveness
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Summary
Members and witnesses warned that processing bottlenecks for critical minerals, cuts to federal science funding and a thinning NASA workforce risk U.S. industrial capacity and long‑term leadership in space; they urged stable demand signals and investment for suppliers and the science pipeline.
Members of the House Science subcommittee used expert testimony to focus on the industrial underpinnings of U.S. space power: processing of critical minerals, single‑source suppliers in civil space supply chains, and the federal role in sustaining a skilled science and engineering workforce.
Representative McCormack (speaker 13) and others pressed witnesses on how to break dependence on China for rare‑earth processing. Dr. Dean Cheng (speaker 4) and others emphasized that mining and processing are distinct steps: opening new mines without non‑China processing capacity will not break dependence. They cautioned that environmental permitting and regulatory differences affect the cost and timeline of domestic processing.
Witnesses highlighted the role of small businesses in NASA’s supply chain and the importance of stable, predictable procurement to enable firms to scale. Several lawmakers cited recent personnel reductions at NASA and proposed or rumored budget cuts; witnesses warned that losing cohorts of postdocs, civil servants and technical mentors risks long‑term capability loss.
Panelists recommended targeted congressional actions: clear authorization priorities; funding for strategic missions and basic R&D that spur industrial innovation; export‑control and ITAR reform where appropriate to preserve competitiveness; and investment in domestic processing and diversification of suppliers.
No formal legislative actions were taken in the hearing; the record was left open for 10 days for additional comments and written questions.
