Statement of Support for the House FY 2024 Interior Appropriation Bill

Arlington, Va., Nov. 1, 2023 – The Essential Minerals Association (EMA) announced its support for H.R. 4821, the fiscal year 2024 House Interior Appropriations Bill. EMA’s president Chris Greissing issued the following statement:

“The Covid-19 pandemic showed us we simply cannot rely on adversaries for our supply chain needs, and we are still trying to come out from under that crisis. The minerals industry is essential to the nation’s manufacturing, agricultural, and energy needs as it is the raw feedstock these industries rely upon. The nation needs our federal government to put forth policies that promote a stronger domestic minerals industry.

“We have been disheartened by the many regulatory proposals that have emanated from the Department of Interior and the Environmental Protection Agency in the last few years. Not only are they detrimental to the minerals industry, but they are clearly counter to the current Administration’s publicly stated goals of improving access to our abundant domestic supply of mineral deposits, many of which are essential to the enactment of the Administration’s own green energy priorities.

“It appears as if the policies supported and being pushed by a very vocal minority of our population continue to support our geopolitical adversaries in Russia and China, giving them an unnecessary advantage over the United States. Instead of developing a stronger domestic minerals sector by promoting commonsense policies, the current Administration is pushing the nation to become further reliant on China and Russia for our mineral needs and placing the nation’s national security in an untenable position.  

“The legislation being proposed by the House Appropriations Committee will allow Congress to finally begin resolving this issue. Given the unstable global atmosphere, it is vital that policies promoted in this legislation be enacted as soon as possible.”

The Essential Minerals Association (EMA) is the representative voice for companies that extract and process a vital and beneficial group of raw materials and minerals, which are the essential ingredients for many of the products used in everyday life. Formerly, the Industrial Minerals Association – North America, EMA ensures that the voices of its member companies and the socio-economic benefits they provide – from mining to end-use products – are heard by government leaders as well as the general public. Visit essentialminerals.org to learn more.

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