While few countries can rival the U.S. when it comes to an abundance of mineral resources, we remain subjected to a third-world permitting system that discourages investment and the downstream industries, related jobs, innovation and technology that depend on a secure and reliable mineral supply chain.

Our dependence on mineral imports has doubled over the past 20 years. Today, less than half of the mineral needs of U.S. manufacturing are met from domestically mined minerals. Long permitting delays drive minerals exploration investments to other counties.

Legislation passed by the House of Representatives in 2012, the "Strategic and Critical Minerals Production Act of 2012" (H.R. 4402), has the potential to remove many of the causes of permitting delays that cripple U.S. minerals development.