Voters should care about this bill because it defines the U.S. position on a new and potentially environmentally risky industry: deep seabed mining. If this bill becomes law, the U.S. will actively use its influence to pause deep seabed mining until more is known about its environmental impacts and strong protections are in place. This could lead to better global safeguards for our oceans, which are vital for climate regulation, biodiversity, and food security.

If the bill does not become law, the U.S. might not take such a strong, unified stance against deep seabed mining in international forums. This could allow for the faster development of deep seabed mining operations without a full understanding of the potential irreversible damage to fragile deep-sea ecosystems, impacting marine life, ocean health, and potentially, human communities that depend on healthy oceans.