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The House voted 223–206 to pass the Securing America’s Critical Minerals Supply Act, which directs the Department of Energy to secure supply chains for minerals essential to U.S. energy systems and reduce reliance on foreign sources.
H.R. 3617, the "Securing America’s Critical Minerals Supply Act," aims to protect the U.S. energy sector from supply chain disruptions by defining "critical energy resources"—materials vital for energy production—and making their security a primary mission of the Department of Energy. The department would be required to evaluate vulnerabilities and develop strategies to increase domestic production, improve recycling, and find substitutes for materials currently sourced from hostile nations. This was a "vote on passage," which is the final step for a bill in the House of Representatives before it moves to the other chamber of Congress. To pass, the bill required a simple majority of members present and voting. The bill passed with nearly unanimous Republican support and small number of Democratic votes. The bill now moves to the Senate for consideration. If the Senate passes it in the same form and the President signs it, the Department of Energy will begin new assessments and reporting on mineral security within two years. This would formalize the government's role in ensuring the materials needed for technologies like batteries and solar panels are readily available.
The bill has been sent to the Senate and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources for further review.
OPEN BILL →Why it matters. The bill addresses national security risks by attempting to decouple U.S. energy infrastructure from foreign mineral supply chains, particularly those controlled by adversarial nations.
Who’s affected. Department of Energy: Would receive a new legal mandate and be required to produce regular reports on mineral vulnerabilities. · Domestic Mining Companies: Could see increased federal attention or streamlined focus on domestic extraction and processing of critical materials. · Energy Technology Manufacturers: May benefit from more stable supply chains for materials used in batteries, solar panels, and wind turbines.
Democrats. Most Democrats voted against the measure, though eight members broke with the caucus to support the bill.
Republicans. Republicans nearly unanimously supported the bill, viewing it as a critical step for domestic energy security.
On Passage
Feb 11, 2026
The House voted 223–206 to pass the Securing America’s Critical Minerals Supply Act, which directs the Department of Energy to secure supply chains for minerals essential to U.S.
energy systems and reduce reliance on foreign sources.
A vote on passage is the final vote in this chamber to approve or reject a bill. Because it passed, the bill moves forward in the legislative process to the Senate.
The bill has been sent to the Senate and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources for further review.
The bill addresses national security risks by attempting to decouple U.S. energy infrastructure from foreign mineral supply chains, particularly those controlled by adversarial nations.
The vote followed strict party lines, with Republicans overwhelmingly in favor and the vast majority of Democrats opposed.
Most Democrats voted against the measure, though eight members broke with the caucus to support the bill.
Republicans nearly unanimously supported the bill, viewing it as a critical step for domestic energy security.
The sole independent member joined the Republican majority in voting in favor of the bill.