WASHINGTON, D.C. - Congressmen Lance Gooden (R-TX) and Vicente Gonzalez (D-TX) have introduced the RARE Act to reduce America's dependence on China for rare earth elements critical to our way of life. The Reclaiming American Rare Earths Act establishes tax incentives for the domestic production of critical minerals used to manufacture military weapons and the technologies that drive our modern economy.

To read the full text of the bill, click here.

This should not be a partisan issue - both President Donald Trump and President Joe Biden have recognized the need for our government to promote domestic production of these critical minerals. America is vulnerable to foreign adversaries that prey on our dependence for these resources.

Thirty-five of these rare earth minerals are designated by the Department of Interior as 'critical', and we source fourteen of them entirely from foreign suppliers. China is a leading supplier for twenty-two of the thirty-five. The RARE Act is specifically designed to change that.

Congressman Gooden - "Our capacity to manufacture essential technology for our national defense and economic prosperity will remain in danger as long as we remain dependent on China. We must start producing these critical minerals here at home and producing in America first."

Congressman Gonzalez - "This pandemic has confirmed that we must uncouple our supply chains and our reliance on China. We have the technological capacity and workforce capable to develop a reliable domestic supply of critical minerals and rare earth elements. We must eliminate China’s strategic advantage which is already harming our national security and most importantly, our way of life. I am proud to support the RARE Act, critical bipartisan legislation that will jump start domestic critical mineral and rare earth element production."