Facing higher oil prices after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, President Joe Biden will invoke the Defense Production Act this week to increase the mining of critical minerals for the batteries used in electric vehicles.
Production will occur under strong environmental and labor standards as well as through tribal engagements, according to the White House, though some Democrats in Congress have concerns because the mining sector is regulated through a 150-year-old law.
Greater federal support for alternatives to fossil fuels would reduce the leverage of Russian President Vladimir Putin and others on matters of U.S. national and economic security, though it reflects a long-term play rather than an immediate response to the economic damage caused by the war.
