Pursuant to clause 3(d)(1) of House rule XIII, the Committee adopts as its own the cost estimate prepared by the Director of the Congressional Budget Office pursuant to the Congressional Budget Act of 1974.
EARMARK STATEMENT
This bill does not contain any Congressional earmarks, limited tax benefits, or limited tariff benefits as defined under clause 9(e), 9(f), and 9(g) of rule XXI of the Rules of the House of Representatives.
UNFUNDED MANDATES REFORM ACT STATEMENT
The Committee adopts as its own the estimate of the Federal mandates prepared by the Director of the Congressional Budget Office pursuant to section 423 of the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act.
EXISTING PROGRAMS
Directed Rule Making. This bill does not contain any directed rule makings. Duplication of Existing Programs. This bill does not establish or reauthorize a program of the federal government known to be duplicative of another program. Such program was not included in any report from the Government Accountability Office to Congress pursuant to section 21 of Public Law 111-139 or identified in the most recent Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance published pursuant to the Federal Program Information Act (Public Law 95-220, as amended by Public Law 98-169) as relating to other programs.
APPLICABILITY TO LEGISLATIVE BRANCH
The Committee finds that the legislation does not relate to the terms and conditions of employment or access to public services or accommodations within the meaning of section 102(b)(3) of the Congressional Accountability Act.
PREEMPTION OF STATE, LOCAL OR TRIBAL LAW
Any preemptive effect of this bill over state, local, or tribal law is intended to be consistent with the bill's purposes and text and the Supremacy Clause of Article VI of the U.S. Constitution.
CHANGES IN EXISTING LAW
As ordered reported by the Committee on Natural Resources, H.R. 5929 would make no changes in existing law.
DISSENTING VIEWS
H.R. 5929 would require all actions taken by the administration under the Defense Production Act (DPA) to expand domestic production capabilities for strategic and critical minerals to be automatically treated as ``covered projects'' eligible for the expedited FAST-41 permitting process, unless the project sponsor requests otherwise. The DPA is intended to fund projects important to national security, but this administration seems to be defining ``national security'' as whatever its industry allies want, whether it's to complete construction of President Trump's ballroom, to try and shut down offshore wind, or waive Endangered Species Act requirements for Big Oil in the Gulf of Mexico. Unfortunately, this legislation is not a simple question of aligning federal permitting practices with federal investment priorities for national security. Over the last several years, and increasingly during the Trump administration, the DPA has been used to direct substantial investments towards mining projects purported to produce minerals essential for defense and military purposes. Among other investments, the Trump administration has used the DPA to fund equity stakes in several mining companies after waiving independent financial disclosure requirements--several of which have ties to friends and family of high-ranking administration officials, who have been able to profit substantially off these announcements. Notably, the administration announced a deal for the company Trilogy Metals while simultaneously fast-tracking permitting for the controversial Ambler Road project, which is needed to develop Trilogy's proposed mine. At the time of the announcement, John Alfred Paulson, a close ally of President Trump, was the fourth-largest shareholder in Trilogy; the value of his shares increased from $30 million to $100 million overnight. In the following months, Paulson sold all shares in the Trilogy. While I am concerned about the abuses of the DPA, I do recognize that the legislation, through the FAST-41 process, would provide more transparency and opportunities for public input than the administration is currently providing for DPA- funded projects under its ``emergency'' procedures invoked pursuant to the so-called National Energy Emergency.
Jared Huffman, Ranking Member.