Source: United States Senator for Alaska Dan Sullivan
WASHINGTON—U.S. Senator Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) today proposed an amendment to the Democrats’ reckless tax-and-spend spree that would ensure that federal funds, subsidies, or tax credits for material needed to build out our energy sector is sourced by the United States, or our allies—not by communist China. This would help ensure a robust, secure supply chain that doesn’t rely on forced labor, and also provide good-paying jobs, and strengthen our economy and our national security.
“If we are going to build out our domestic renewable energy industry, we need to have an honest conversation about where we are sourcing these materials,” Sen. Sullivan said. “We cannot continue to be dependent on China for critical minerals—resources that are crucial to our economy and national security, and which we have in abundance in the U.S., particularly in Alaska. We also cannot continue to allow extreme environmentalists to dictate our country’s energy policy and block domestic mineral production. By developing our national supply chains and processing capabilities, we can create thousands of good-paying jobs, protect our national interests, deny economic support for violators of basic human rights and build out America’s all-of-the-above energy sector.”
China is one of the dominant suppliers of renewable energy inputs and technologies, and has been found to use forced labor, exploiting the Uyghur community in Xinjiang province, to produce solar energy technology. The United States is dangerously reliant on China for roughly 80 percent of both the processing and manufacturing of minerals, rare earth elements, and metals vital to the America’s renewable energy sector and national security.
The U.S. is currently 100 percent reliant on other countries for 14 critical minerals and more than 75 percent reliant for an additional 10 critical minerals.
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