Recently, the House of Representatives took an important step forward to help the United States regain its competitive edge, passing legislation designed to accelerate the domestic development of critical minerals. If the Senate follows suit, it will send an even stronger message to our adversaries that America can and will use domestic sources of the raw materials needed to grow our 21st-century economy.

It may have escaped notice in the heartland, but for much of the past year, China imposed export restrictions on various rare earth elements and critical minerals. By forbidding overseas entities from obtaining these materials as part of broader Sino-American trade disputes, the Chinese government effectively held much of the global economy hostage.