How is Sen. Shaheen Trying to Assist the US With A Rare Earth Stockpile?

Summary

Senator Jeanne Shaheen joins Joe Mathieu to discuss U.S.-Iran diplomacy as the State Department urges Americans to leave Iran, saying the talks in Oman are a good sign and that negotiations are always better than fighting. She speaks from Phoenix Tailings, a rare earth processing plant in New Hampshire, to promote her bipartisan Secure Minerals Act, which would create a strategic resilience reserve and authorize $2.5 billion in support for the domestic rare earth industry to counter China's 90% share of processing. She also addresses the approaching Department of Homeland Security funding deadline, backing Democratic demands for ICE reforms and hoping for a bipartisan deal.

• Shaheen says U.S.-Iran indirect talks in Oman are a good sign and that negotiations are better than fighting, hoping for an agreement on Iran's nuclear program and support for terrorist groups.
• She says she has no insight into whether the president will use the military assets assembled near Iran and stresses the importance of staying at the negotiating table.
• She discusses her bipartisan Secure Minerals Act: a strategic resilience reserve modeled on the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, $2.5 billion in authorized funding, capital-market support for small domestic processors, and a seven-member independent board.
• She notes about 90% of rare earth processing is done in China and highlights Phoenix Tailings in New Hampshire, one of fewer than five U.S. processors, as vital to building a domestic industry.
• She says her bill complements the president's $12 billion critical minerals stockpile effort announced during this week's summit in Washington.
• On the looming DHS funding deadline, she backs ICE reforms including masking waivers, warrant rules, and body cameras, and urges a bipartisan deal to avoid a shutdown.