McCollum and Van Epps Introduce Bipartisan Critical Materials Future Act Targeting U.S. Processing

Highlights

• Rep. Betty McCollum (D) and Rep. Matt Van Epps (R) introduced the Critical Materials Future Act to fund domestic critical-material processing via a DOE pilot program.
• The Senate companion bill is backed by two Democrats and two Republicans and authorizes $750 million in support.
• The legislation targets America's 'missing middle'—processing capacity that is technically feasible but financially unviable due to price volatility and Chinese scale dominance.
• Policy tools proposed include contracts for differences and advanced market commitments to reduce risk and improve project bankability.
• Investors are cautioned to distinguish authorization from actual capacity, as project-selection rules and funding deployment will determine real-world impact.