A secure and resilient supply of critical minerals is paramount to our national security and is an economic necessity. Unfortunately, the United States is almost entirely dependent on foreign nations for our supply — an alarming fact considering most of the technology our government uses today requires these minerals.

Every day, the Department of Homeland Security works to secure our border, counter terrorist threats, harden our cybersecurity defenses, and protect us from emerging threats such as weaponized drones and biological weapons. This is a sweeping and, at times, difficult mandate to fulfill.