119-HR-4090 Journalist Public Summary
119 · HR 4090 Critical Mineral Dominance Act
Plain-language summary of H.R. 4090, the Critical Mineral Dominance Act—what it does, why it matters, who supports/opposes it, and where it stands as of February 4, 2026.
Headline Summary
A House bill to speed up domestic mining of hardrock minerals on federal land, require an accounting of how import‑dependent the U.S. is for key minerals, and ramp up nationwide geologic mapping to bolster supply chains. (congress.gov)
What It Does
- Orders the Interior Department to tally the economic cost of U.S. reliance on imported minerals listed in USGS’s 2025 Mineral Commodity Summaries and include that analysis in future editions. - Requires Interior (with Agriculture) to identify mining projects on federal land, fast‑track “priority” projects it can immediately approve, and flag places where mining potential is highest. - Directs a review to suspend, revise, or rescind agency actions deemed to unduly burden domestic mining, and to recommend legal changes to speed approvals. - Prioritizes a national push to modernize surface and subsurface geologic mapping focused on hardrock deposits. - Clarifies that “hardrock minerals” do not include oil, gas, or coal. (congress.gov)
Why It Matters
Supporters frame the bill as a supply‑chain and national‑security measure: the U.S. imports many nonfuel minerals that feed clean‑energy, defense, and electronics industries; better data, faster permitting, and modern mapping (the Earth MRI effort) aim to reduce bottlenecks and foreign dependence. (pubs.usgs.gov)
Who’s For It
- Sponsor: Rep. Pete Stauber (R‑MN); cosponsors include Reps. Nicholas Begich (R‑AK) and Brad Finstad (R‑MN). Backers say the bill would create jobs, shore up supply chains, and strengthen national security. (congress.gov)
- House Natural Resources Committee majority (Republicans) advanced the bill 26–16. Committee materials emphasize streamlining approvals and identifying priority projects on federal lands. (congress.gov)
Who’s Against It
- Committee Democrats filed dissenting views arguing the bill prioritizes industry over environmental and Tribal protections, risks more pollution from mine waste, and focuses on extraction without addressing U.S. processing capacity. (congress.gov)
What’s Next
On February 3, 2026, the House adopted a special rule (H. Res. 1032) to consider H.R. 4090 under a closed rule with one hour of debate and one motion to recommit; floor consideration is now queued. The prior day’s Congressional Record listed H.R. 4090 on the February 3 schedule. (rules.house.gov)
Discussion