Ending Supply Chain Dependency: Aligning Tools, Capital, and Partnerships

The House Foreign Affairs Committee Republicans held a hearing on July 16, 2026, focused on ending U.S. supply chain dependency by aligning tools, capital, and partnerships. The discussion centered on the roles of the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC), U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA), and Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) in securing critical supply chains, particularly for critical minerals, energy, advanced manufacturing, and emerging technologies like artificial intelligence. Witnesses detailed ongoing and planned investments, including a $553 million loan for the Lobito Atlantic Railway to support mineral transport in Africa, a $1.5 billion energy infrastructure investment in South and Southeast Asia, and efforts to replace Chinese telecommunications infrastructure with trusted U.S. vendors in Kazakhstan and the Pacific. The hearing also addressed concerns about potential conflicts of interest involving DFC investments linked to the Trump administration, the need for transparency and ethical oversight, and the importance of coordinating interagency efforts under legislation like the bipartisan Dominance Act. Members emphasized the necessity of focusing on development mandates, combating corruption, and ensuring investments support U.S. strategic interests while promoting economic growth in partner countries. The hearing concluded with commitments to improve transparency, interagency coordination, and support for projects that reduce reliance on adversaries such as China.