Washington, D.C. (WVDN) – Congressman Riley M. Moore voted for the Protecting Domestic Mining Act of 2025, introduced by Congressman Jefferson Shreve (R-IN), legislation that would codify mining as a covered sector under the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act and ensure critical mining infrastructure projects can receive expedited federal environmental reviews.
Congressman Riley M. Moore released the following statement:
“America cannot be a strong and independent nation if we are dependent on hostile foreign powers for the minerals and resources, we need to power our economy and defend our country. We have an abundance of natural resources here in America, but Washington’s broken permitting process has made it far too difficult to extract and develop them. The Protecting Domestic Mining Act will help unleash mining, cut bureaucratic delays, and restore American industrial independence.”
This legislation would permanently establish statutory authority for certain mining infrastructure projects to receive expedited environmental review under the FAST Act. It would also prevent the Federal Permitting Improvement Steering Council from finalizing a Biden-era proposed rule that would narrow FAST-41 eligibility for mining projects by limiting expedited review primarily to critical minerals projects.
For decades, federal permitting delays and regulatory uncertainty have made it increasingly difficult to develop domestic mining projects. At the same time, the United States has become increasingly dependent on foreign sources for critical minerals and other resources essential to manufacturing, energy production, infrastructure, and national defense. The House passage of this important legislation will undo this trend.
