Full Committee Hearing on Strategic Partnerships to Secure Critical Resources and Supply Chains

The Ways and Means Committee Republicans held a full committee hearing on September 2, 2026, focused on strategic partnerships to secure critical resources and supply chains, particularly critical minerals essential for the U.S. economy, defense, and technology sectors. The hearing emphasized the urgent need to reduce U.S. dependence on China, which controls a dominant share of global processing capacity for rare earth elements and other critical minerals. Witnesses and members discussed the importance of strengthening trade relations with Central Asian and African countries rich in critical minerals, including calls to repeal the outdated Jackson Vanic Amendment to facilitate trade and investment. The committee also addressed the extension of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) and the need for longer-term trade agreements to provide investment certainty. Concerns were raised about transparency, environmental and labor standards, and potential conflicts of interest in recent U.S. government-backed mineral projects, including those involving politically connected individuals. Members highlighted the necessity of expanding domestic mining, processing, and refining capacity through tax incentives and streamlined permitting, as well as fostering durable international partnerships to build resilient supply chains. The hearing included discussions on tariff policies, the role of private capital, and the strategic importance of transportation corridors like the TransCaspian route. Overall, the committee underscored that securing critical mineral supply chains is a national security imperative requiring bipartisan legislative action and coordinated economic diplomacy.