WASHINGTON, July 30 (UPI) -- As the 119th Congress wraps up its final sessions before the August recess, senators turned their attention Wednesday to securing U.S. access to critical minerals in Africa, an increasingly urgent priority amid global competition.
"The economy, the energy transition and even the defense supply chains depend on the Chinese Communist Party. The United States relies heavily on China to refine critical minerals, even those that originate in Africa," Chairman Ted Cruz, R-Texas, said during a Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Africa and Global Health Policy hearing.
With demand for lithium, cobalt, graphite and rare earth elements expected to soar over the next decade, the United States is seeking strategic alternatives to its current dependence on China-dominated supply chains.
Africa, home to roughly 30% of the world's critical mineral reserves, has emerged as a central focus of this reorientation.
"We are in crisis, and not enough people recognize the crisis that we're in. It demands action. We know the strategic work of these materials," said Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J. "I believe the United States is trailing behind in this global competition and not exercising strength, power and focus."
