Democrats move to subpoena Trump Jr. and others over mineral-investment deals; panel tables motion 5–2

Democratic members of a House Natural Resources subcommittee accused the administration of steering federal investments in critical-mineral companies toward politically connected firms and moved to subpoena private and government figures; the subpoena motion was tabled by the majority.

Ranking Member (subcommittee) Dexter raised allegations of self-dealing and conflicts of interest during opening remarks and questioning, citing Pentagon and Commerce commitments to companies before independent reviews and naming Vulcan Elements as an example. Dexter said members should "follow the money" and urged colleagues to press witnesses on deals that she said lacked transparency.

Faith Williams, director of the Project on Government Oversight, told the panel she was "concerned with all levels of conflicts of interest" when the government holds equity stakes in companies it also regulates or funds. Williams pointed to a Commerce letter of intent with USA Rare Earth that would give the government shares in return for funding and noted the firm Cantor was paid to raise private funding; she flagged the apparent family ties of Cantor’s leadership as a transparency concern.

During the hearing, Dexter moved a formal subpoena seeking testimony from Donald Trump Jr., the acting director of the DOD Office of Strategic Capital (Patrick Witt as named in the motion), and Vulcan Elements chief executive Ronnie Pruitt, with a compliance date of no later than April 22, 2026. The motion text as read stated: "I move the committee subpoena Donald Trump junior, acting director of the DOD Office of Strategic Capital, Patrick Witt, and Vulcan CEO, Ronnie Pruitt, to provide hearing testimony as soon as possible, but no later than 04/22/2026."

The chair moved to table that subpoena motion. The clerk called a recorded vote; the clerk reported the yeas as 5 and the nays as 2. The reading recorded individual votes as: Gosar — Aye; Dexter — No; Boebert — Aye; Ansari — No; Collins — Aye; Amadeh — Yes; Begich — Aye. The chair declared the motion to table agreed to.

No witness testimony or committee evidence substantiated or disproved the broader allegations; Williams told members POGO would support oversight actions "to investigate any and all conflicts of interest or potential conflicts of interest." Democrats said they would continue pushing for documents and briefings outside the hearing record.

Following the vote, the subcommittee adjourned after brief final remarks.