Defense companies tense as Congress pressures them to buy domestic
"A draft version of the 2025 defense authorization act has several provisions targeting China-made critical materials. ...Lawmakers are increasingly worried about where defense companies get critical materials, like batteries, for military technologies. But industry is also concerned about pressure to buy domestic materials—without any extra funding to make that possible. ...2025 defense policy bill, which highlights concerns about the supply chains for critical minerals and rare-earth elements that are essential for military technologies but sourced from foreign countries, like China. Under “items of special interest,” lawmakers said the Pentagon has “underutilized” its authority to buy critical materials domestically, and requested a briefing on a three-year plan to change that. “The committee is concerned that this authority remains underutilized ..."
Reference: www.defenseone.com .
