WASHINGTON — As the new chair of the Energy and Commerce Environment Subcommittee, Congressman Gary Palmer has carved out a space to tackle one of his biggest priorities: critical minerals.
The minerals, including rare earth elements, are essential to manufacturing and energy technologies. They’re used in smartphones, EV batteries, televisions and heavy equipment.
“It is of incredibly pressing importance that we secure our own ability to refine the materials that we need,” Palmer, R-Birmingham, told Alabama Daily News in an interview before August recess.
Palmer, the sixth-term congressman, was tapped to take the gavel of the Environment Subcommittee in July, after previously overseeing the Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee. Now, Palmer will have the authority to write legislation involving critical minerals, which wasn’t the case in his former position.
Energy and Commerce Chairman Brett Guthrie “made it clear that I’m the point person” on critical minerals and rare earth elements, Palmer said.
The Alabama Republican is particularly focused on ramping up production of rare earth elements in the Western Hemisphere since the majority of refineries that produce the elements used in magnets are in China. The United States’ dependence on China for minerals that are critical to everyday items is a significant problem, Palmer said.
“Not only an economic security issue, it’s a national security issue, because you have to have these refined magnets for our fighter aircraft, for our military equipment at all branches of our military,” Palmer told ADN. “You also have to have them for our economy.”
Palmer is working with the White House and diplomats to combat China in this space so the United States can be prepared for any future aggression from China, he said.
The congressman also introduced legislation last month to codify five of President Donald Trump’s executive orders aimed at increasing critical mineral production. The bill, called Securing America’s Mineral Supply (SAMS) Act, has 45 cosponsors, including one Democrat. Palmer thinks some of his mineral work will be bipartisan.
“I think there are a few Democrats that truly understand the threat and the nature of the threat, and that we’re going to have to do some things differently,” Palmer said. “And so I think when the bill ultimately comes to the floor, I wouldn’t be surprised to see a number of Democrats vote for it.”
The executive orders the SAMS Act codifies include Trump’s directives on reducing reliance on adversarial countries for critical minerals, unleashing American energy and implementing immediate measures to increase U.S. mineral production.
Palmer expects the legislation to pass out of his subcommittee after the August recess.
Lulu’s Law
Palmer is leading the House legislation for Lulu’s Law. The legislation will create a warning alert system for shark attacks. It’s named in honor of 16-year-old Lulu Gribbin from Mountain Brook, who lost her left hand and right leg in a shark attack last year.
He expects the bill will get marked up in the Energy and Commerce Committee when lawmakers return to Washington in September.
“It’s a high priority for the committee,” Palmer told ADN.
The U.S. Senate passed Lulu’s Law, spearheaded by Sen. Katie Britt, by unanimous consent in July.