I am writing to urge you to support legislation designed to revitalize our nations critical minerals supply chain. The "National Strategic and Critical Minerals Policy Act of 2011"(H.R.2011) introduced by Rep. Doug Lamborn in the House and "The Critical Minerals Policy Act of 2011 (S.1113)" introduced by Sen. Lisa Murkowski in the Senate would direct the Secretary of the Interior to coordinate a government wide survey of America's national mineral policy, mineral supplies, demands and other critical factors impacting mineral development, including workforce, permitting and regulations.

The U.S. is home to an abundance of untapped strategic and critical minerals capable of meeting our nation's vast manufacturing and national security needs, yet the lack of a clear national minerals policy prevents American companies from utilizing many of these abundant resources, leaving our nation's manufacturing supply chain often dependent on foreign resources from countries like China that currently controls 97% of the world's rare earth supply.

It's time for America to start creating mining jobs instead of destroying them and start producing more of these minerals right here at home.

The basics of our well-being - our homes, workplaces, schools, hospitals and transportation systems - are all possible because of America's vast mineral wealth. American mineral and metal mining supports hundreds of thousands of high-paying jobs and provides domestic manufacturers with an affordable, reliable supply of critically important raw materials and commodities that are helping to re-build America's economy. And each year, the U.S. Military uses an estimated 733,468 tons of minerals in an array of military functions - from the obvious to the unseen - making these minerals vital to the technologies that provide for our national defense. To respond at a moment's notice to threats from anywhere around the globe, we will need a steady supply chain to meet our mineral defense needs.

I urge you to support critical minerals legislation introduced by Rep. Lamborn and Sen. Murkowski that will help revitalize domestic production of strategic and critical minerals and prevent the U.S. from becoming further dependent on foreign sources for these vital minerals.