Lawmakers Ask GAO to Study Critical Mineral Alternatives

WASHINGTON — On Nov. 14, 2025, Representatives John Joyce and Gary Palmer asked the Government Accountability Office to assess available and emerging technologies and materials that could supplement critical minerals used in semiconductors and power electronics.
They highlighted lithium, cobalt and rare earth elements as essential yet vulnerable to supply-chain disruption because of U.S. reliance on foreign sources and rapidly growing global demand.
The request asks the GAO to evaluate domestic options such as minerals recovered from mine waste and tailings, and materials reclaimed from end-of-life batteries and electronic waste, including their effects on material and product performance.
It also seeks identification of the key technological challenges to developing or adopting these supplemental sources, and how those barriers would affect efforts to diversify U.S. critical mineral supplies.
Background materials note a May subcommittee hearing on strengthening critical mineral supply chains and emphasize the need to reduce dependence on non-allied suppliers, support onshoring of processing and manufacturing, and protect national security while maintaining performance for energy and defense technologies.