[epithermal]

Here is a rare earths program for you: stop designating wilderness areas until we know what resources are there.

[LS]

I know Pete Rivera, the singer and drummer of Rare Earth. Why is Congress oppressing him?

[Sacajaweau]

I believe we're going to have to import tons of rare earth metals to make our new energy efficient cars.

Which probably means a little blackmail and the cars wind up being made in China.

[1rudeboy]

The House Committee on Science and Technology Thursday approved the Rare Earth and Critical Materials Revitalization Act of 2010, which authorizes the U.S. Department of Energy to develop a rare earth materials program "that will restore a long-term, secure and sustainable supply of rare earth materials to meet the needs of the United States."

LOL--Any guesses as to how many years will pass before the EPA learns of the new legislative policy?

[Sacajaweau]

Wind turbines need rare earth metals, too.

[Psycho_Bunny]

I have a feeling we’re going to be seeing a lot of legislation in the future, geared toward restoring industries Congress and the rest of government destroyed.

[SunTzuWu]

Remember when Clinton turned a lot of land into National Parks and wilderness preserves? I remember one contained the last site in America with low sulfur coal, a gift to the Riyadh’s(sp). I think I remember a similar situation with rare earth minerals. The land was closed and his Chicom friends were left with a monopoly. Am I remembering this correctly?

[G Larry]

We’ve seen this coming for at least 10 years.
After the cold war ended, strategic planning was no longer sexy.
Time to help Afgahnistan industialize and market their natural resources (to us).
The problem will be to inject capitalizm into a 12th century culture.

[dirtboy]

The House Committee on Science and Technology Thursday approved the Rare Earth and Critical Materials Revitalization Act of 2010, which authorizes the U.S. Department of Energy to develop a rare earth materials program "that will restore a long-term, secure and sustainable supply of rare earth materials to meet the needs of the United States."

And if any deposits are found in the United States, the Obama Administration will lead the way in preventing them from being mined - in the name of environmentalism, of course.

[bkopto]

“The House Committee on Science and Technology Thursday approved the Rare Earth and Critical Materials Revitalization Act of 2010, which authorizes the U.S. Department of Energy to develop a rare earth materials program ‘that will restore a long-term, secure and sustainable supply of rare earth materials to meet the needs of the United States.’ “

What morons in the Congress! They are completely reactive, instead of having foresight and being proactive. Anyone with one quarter of a working brain could see China’s behavior coming from miles away. We let our rare earths mines and processing lapse because of environmentalists and processing costs, and outsourced the whole industry to the Chinese Communists. Congress lets the Greens run roughshod over the American people and our national interests, time after time after time, all for the sake of their stupid campaign coffers.

NOW, can we PLEASE do the same for energy independence and oil? OR, do we have to wait for yet another energy crisis to show up on our door step? MORONS.

[raybbr]

...authorizes the U.S. Department of Energy to develop a rare earth materials program "that will restore a long-term, secure and sustainable supply of rare earth materials to meet the needs of the United States."

Good idea. So we can stockpile RE's in the U.S. and then be able to ship the stuff to China to use in the manufacture of "stuff" for us to buy back from them.

Huzzahs all around.