House passes bill to help Trump in his critical minerals race with China

WASHINGTON — House lawmakers moved Wednesday to codify several of President Trump’s executive orders aimed at expanding domestic mining on federal lands. The lower chamber voted 224 to 195 to pass the Critical Mineral Dominance Act, which tasks Interior Secretary Doug Burgum with identifying and expediting projects for important mining projects. Of particular focus is the critical minerals that the US imports from overseas. The bill, which was introduced by Rep. Pete Stauber (R-Minn.), further instructs Burgum’s team to ramp up the government’s detailed geologic mapping of the country. “This legislation will help enable us to mine here domestically, create…