Highlights

• Senators Slotkin and Ernst introduced the bipartisan PRIMED Act to expedite federal permitting for Defense Department and DPA-funded critical mineral projects by automatically classifying them under the FAST-41 framework.
• The bill correctly targets permitting delays as a key bottleneck in U.S. mineral supply chains, but it may only benefit a narrow slice of DoD-funded projects without addressing broader pipeline challenges or litigation risks.
• The legislation signals a critical shift in Washington's approach to treating critical minerals as defense assets, potentially lowering permitting risk premiums for backed projects despite implementation limitations.

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Senators Elissa Slotkin (D-MI) (opens in a new tab) and Joni Ernst (R-IA) (opens in a new tab) have introduced the Permit Reform in Mining for Energy and Defense (PRIMED) Act (opens in a new tab), a bipartisan bill (opens in a new tab) aimed squarely at one of Washington’s favorite pressure points: federal permitting delays for critical minerals. Announced on December 17, 2025, the legislation is pitched as a national-security upgrade—designed to accelerate domestic mining, processing, and manufacturing projects tied to energy transition and defense readiness.

At its core, the PRIMED Act does not rewrite environmental law.

Instead, it expands the scope of FAST-41, (opens in a new tab) the federal “Fixing America’s Surface Transportation” permitting framework, by automatically classifying Department of Defense and Defense Production Act (DPA)–funded mineral projects as “covered projects.” That designation places them on the federal Permitting Dashboard, forcing interagency coordination, defined timelines, and public transparency. In theory, it replaces bureaucratic drift with deadlines.

What the Bill Gets Right

From a Rare Earth Exchanges™ perspective, the bill correctly identifies a real chokepoint: permitting, not geology, is one key binding constraint on U.S. critical mineral supply. The U.S. has deposits of rare earths, plus critical minerals such as lithium, nickel, copper, and graphite—but converting them into operating mines and refineries routinely takes a decade or more. By tethering permitting reform to projects already deemed vital to national security through DPA funding, PRIMED attempts to align federal investment with federal process.

Industry groups such as the National Mining Association and the Essential Minerals Association are unsurprisingly supportive. Their argument is straightforward: if Washington is willing to fund a project for defense reasons, it should also ensure that the same project does not die in interagency limbo.

The Devil’s Advocate View

But here’s the harder question: does PRIMED change outcomes meaningfully, or does it mostly improve optics? FAST-41 has existed for nearly a decade. It improves coordination and visibility, but it does not guarantee approval, shorten litigation risk, or resolve local opposition. Projects can still stall if agencies miss deadlines—or if courts intervene.

More critically, the bill focuses on projects already receiving DPA or DoD funding, a narrow slice of the pipeline. That may help a handful of strategically blessed projects, but it does little for the broader ecosystem of early-stage explorers, processors, and refiners that never make it to the funding table in the first place. In other words, PRIMED may accelerate the last mile without fixing the on-ramp.

There is also a political tension embedded in the bill’s framing. By emphasizing expedited environmental review—without clearly articulating how standards are preserved—PRIMED invites opposition from environmental groups who argue that “streamlining” often becomes shorthand for risk displacement rather than risk reduction. That fight could slow the bill itself, undermining its stated urgency.

Why This Still Matters

Despite its limitations, PRIMED reflects a deeper shift in Washington’s thinking: critical minerals are no longer just an economic issue—they are a defense asset. Senator Slotkin explicitly tied the bill to stockpiling and national security in a September speech, while Senator Ernst framed it as a counter to foreign adversary dependence. That bipartisan alignment is rare—and politically valuable.

For investors and developers, the signal matters even if the mechanism is imperfect. Projects with DPA or DoD backing may now carry a lower permitting risk premium, altering capital allocation decisions at the margin. But no one should mistake this bill for a silver bullet. Without parallel reforms to litigation exposure, community engagement, and midstream refining/processing incentives—not to mention magnet production at scale, America’s critical mineral ambitions will remain fragile.

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