{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://susielee.house.gov/media/press-releases/congresswoman-lee-celebrates-multibillion-dollar-federal-investment-mp", "Congresswoman Lee Celebrates Multibillion-Dollar Federal Investment into MP Materials, Las Vegas-Based Critical Mineral Company", "2025-08-11", "2025", "2025-08", "Democrat", "House", "NV", "Susie Lee", "L000590", "susielee.house.gov", "susielee", "https://susielee.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "Above: (L to R) Executive Vice President, Corporate Affairs & Chief Communications Officer Matt Sloustcher and Congresswoman Susie Lee\n\nClick HERE for video of the press conference\n\nLAS VEGAS, NV \u2013 Today, Congresswoman Susie Lee (NV-03) joined MP Materials Executive Vice President, Corporate Affairs & Chief Communications Officer Matt Sloustcher to celebrate a multibillion-dollar commitment from the Department of Defense (DoD) to MP Materials, America\u2019s only fully integrated rare earth producer, headquartered in Las Vegas.\n\n\u201cRare earth magnets are one of the most critical components in advanced technology systems, from our phones to aircraft used by the Department of Defense. That\u2019s why it\u2019s essential that we develop the U.S. rare earth magnet supply chain and reduce our dependency on foreign countries for rare earths,\u201d said Congresswoman Susie Lee. \u201cWe must make America\u2019s rare earth resurgence a bipartisan priority. I look forward to continue working with the DoD, MP Materials, and others to continue to grow and strengthen our domestic supply chain of critical minerals in an environmentally-conscious manner, while also securing hundreds of jobs for Nevadans.\u201d\n\n\u201cWe are grateful to Rep. Lee for long recognizing the strategic importance of our work\u2014not just for the national interest, but for Southern Nevada,\u201d said MP Materials Executive Vice President, Corporate Affairs & Chief Communications Officer Matt Sloustcher. \u201cWe also appreciate the bipartisan consensus on this issue, which is helping to accelerate progress.\u201d\n\nThe commitment from the DoD will allow MP Materials to accelerate domestic production of rare earth materials and magnets, including the processing of samarium, a rare earth element used in military applications like fighter jets and missiles. Currently, samarium production is entirely controlled by China, posing serious national security and supply chain resiliency concerns.\n\nBefore DoD announced its commitment, Lee raised the alarm on China\u2019s chokehold on critical minerals and asked DoD to commit to investing in American-based companies, like MP Materials, which process critical minerals. MP Materials has invested $1 billion of its own capital since 2020, and employs more than 800 Americans, 550 of whom live in southern Nevada. As part of its expansion, MP Materials expects to add hundreds of jobs to the region in the coming years.\n\nCongresswoman Lee also secured $10 million in the House\u2019s FY26 Defense funding bill for a plant that recycles waste products generated in the rare earth production process, helping to lower production costs and make the process more environmentally conscious.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T14:57:50Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://susielee.house.gov/media/press-releases/congresswoman-lee-celebrates-multibillion-dollar-federal-investment-mp"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.0117576457560062, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}