China’s reckless actions that led to a global pandemic is hammering home the need for Congress to address America’s over-dependence on the deceptive communist nation for medicine, mineral resources, and critical manufacturing infrastructure.

In a Denver Post opinion piece, U.S. Rep. Scott Tipton calls on American manufacturing companies to bring all China-based operations back home in order to protect the supply chain as well as create jobs.

This includes American-developed drugs, more than 90% of which now come from China, as well as essential PPE and ventilators. 

But our reliance on China’s Communist Party (CCP) is not confined to the health care sector. The U.S. must also reposition itself as a leader in extracting and processing rare-earth minerals, Tipton writes.

Most of the critical and rare earth minerals American companies rely on come from China, and even if they don’t, they are processed in China. I am working to cut China out of the supply chain. 

Tipton has authored the Rare Earth Cooperative 21st Century Manufacturing Act to support American mining companies and other manufacturers to process the minerals that are produced in the U.S. 

There is only one rare earth processing plant operating outside of China.

The pilot plant operated by USA Rare Earth and Texas Mineral Resources opened late last year in Wheat Ridge, Colorado.

“To have a strong domestic response to a global pandemic, natural disaster or military conflict, we must have a reliable supply chain for critical public health and safety infrastructure. It is clear our health care supply chain was not fully ready for this crisis. We now have an opportunity to learn and take immediate corrective action. Ending CCP’s supply chain dominance will better serve all of us,” Tipton said.

Tipton is right, China is a bad actor and must be held accountable. 

The question is, will Democrats in the U.S. House led by Speaker Nancy Pelosi get serious about protecting America, or will they continue to play partisan games? 

That’s a good issue for Colorado journalists to examine. They should start with the state’s congressional delegation to see where they stand on securing America’s supply of rare earth minerals.

This is an issue that transcends party lines but is very near and dear to the hearts of liberals who demand the production of electric vehicles, which require rare Earth minerals.

The question is, will Democrats support the production of rare earth minerals required to build electric cars, computers, cell phones, and solar panels?