[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 179 Introduced in House (IH)]
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119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. RES. 179
Expressing support for the strengthening of United States-Africa
partnerships in critical minerals development.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
March 3, 2025
Mrs. Cherfilus-McCormick (for herself and Mr. Jackson of Illinois)
submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee
on Foreign Affairs
_______________________________________________________________________
RESOLUTION
Expressing support for the strengthening of United States-Africa
partnerships in critical minerals development.
Whereas critical minerals are essential to United States national security and
economic interests;
Whereas global critical minerals supply chains on which many United States firms
and defense needs rely are substantially controlled by foreign entities
of concern (FEOC), notably including multiple commercial entities based
in or aided by the People's Republic of China (PRC);
Whereas multiple PRC commercial actors are foreign entities of concern, as
defined under United States law: entities owned and controlled by, or
subject to the jurisdiction or direction of a government of a foreign
country, such as the PRC, that may engage in activity detrimental to
United States interests;
Whereas the International Monetary Fund estimates that sub-Saharan Africa holds
30 percent of the volume of proven critical mineral reserves, and at
least 20 African countries export a range of minerals and metals,
including those that are deemed ``critical'' to United States national
security and economic interests;
Whereas critical minerals such as cobalt, lithium, and nickel are essential to a
clean energy transition, consumer electronics, and the United States
defense industrial base;
Whereas some African nations are seeking to increase investments in their
critical mineral mining and processing sectors as a means of fostering
greater national mineral-related value-added refining, processing,
earnings, and related socioeconomic development in their countries;
Whereas responsible mining--mining that is pursued in a manner that is
environmentally and legally sound, socioeconomically inclusive, and
well-governed--produces sustainable state revenues, local employment,
technological transfer and community development;
Whereas poorly governed and unregulated mining frequently produces corruption,
labor abuses, environmental degradation, and violent conflict;
Whereas the United States-initiated Mineral Security Partnership was established
in 2022 and is composed of 14 countries and the European Union committed
to catalyzing public and private investment in high standard-based
development of critical mineral supply chains and responsible mining
practices globally;
Whereas, in 2022, the United States signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU)
with the Democratic Republic of Congo and Zambia to support these two
countries' commitment to develop jointly a supply chain for electric
vehicle batteries;
Whereas the International Energy Agency (IEA) projects that between $180 billion
and $220 billion are expected to be invested in the mining of critical
minerals between 2022 and 2030, but that only 10 percent of such amount
are slated to be invested in Africa;
Whereas, in 2023, the United States was 82 percent or more net-reliant on
imports from abroad for supplies of at least 29 critical minerals,
including 14 rare earth elements, and substantially import-reliant on
other critical minerals and other technology-essential mined
commodities; and
Whereas the often-substantial degree of PRC control over critical mineral supply
chains, including through PRC-origin foreign entities of concern and the
PRC's imposition of licensing regimes that could potentially restrict
PRC exports of selected essential critical minerals pose grave national
security risks to the United States: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, Tt is the sense of the House of Representatives that--
(1) United States policy should seek to--
(A) diversify the sources of supplies of critical
minerals in a manner that prevents Foreign Entities of
Concerns (FEOCs) from restricting, increasing the cost,
or otherwise negatively affecting United States access
to these resources;
(B) improve the efficacy, efficiency, and
coordination of United States Federal agencies working
to help businesses invest in critical minerals in
foreign countries friendly to the United States,
including through these agencies' implementation of
United States Government commitments under the United
States-led multinational Minerals Security Partnership
(MSP); and
(C) enhance mutually beneficial partnership with
countries in Africa that produce or possess reserves of
critical minerals by--
(i) mobilizing and supporting investments
in new or expanded critical mineral production
and processing projects in African markets in
order to bolster equitable and transparent
global market-based access to African mineral
production and promote responsible sourcing and
value-added processing of critical minerals in
Africa;
(ii) providing incentives, such as
financing or technical assistance, for United
States business, and businesses in African
countries friendly to the United States to
invest in such mineral sector production and
processing projects of strategic interest to
the United States; and
(iii) urging the administration to
transform the Memorandum of Understanding among
the United States of America, the Democratic
Republic of Congo, and the Republic of Zambia
concerning support for the development of a
value chain in the electric vehicle battery
sector into a meaningful investment program
that can be modelled and implemented throughout
the continent; and
(2) the House of Representatives urges the Secretary of
State, in consultation with the Secretaries of Commerce,
Energy, the Interior, Treasury, and Defense, the United States
Agency for International Development, the Development Finance
Corporation, the United States Export-Import Bank, and any
other relevant Federal agencies as appropriate, to develop a 5-
year strategy to achieve the following priorities:
(A) Strengthen United States commercial diplomacy
and development efforts to support United States
critical minerals investors and help address challenges
of doing business in African countries.
(B) Provide financing and technical assistance
incentives and pursue public-private investment
mobilization efforts to help eligible African mineral
producers to capitalize the expansion of their critical
mineral production and processing capacities in order
to diversify United States critical mineral supply
chains and advance African value-addition objectives.
(C) Support through the United States International
Development Finance Corporation and other Federal
agencies, diversified equity funds and investment
platforms that provide capital for or incentivize
United States private sector investment future mining
projects in African countries.
(D) Enhance economic cooperation with eligible
African critical minerals producers.
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