Today, Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA), the Ranking Member on the House Financial Services Committee, Representatives Joyce Beatty (D-OH), Ranking Member of the National Security Illicit Finance and International Financial Institution Subcommittee,  Jared Huffman (D-CA), Ranking Member of the House Natural Resources Committee, and Teresa Leger Fernández (D-NM), Ranking Member of the Indian and Insular Affairs Subcommittee, sent a letter to U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent urging the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) to immediately review the transfer of thousands of acres of U.S. Forest Service (USFS) land in central Arizona to Resolution Copper Mining, LLC, a foreign-owned mining venture with significant financial ties to the People’s Republic of China (PRC). The land, called Oak Flat or Chi’chil Biłdagoteel in Apache, is also sacred land connecting the Western Apache to their religion, history, culture, and environment, transferred over objections of the tribe. 

In the letter, the lawmakers raise concerns about the possible national security implications posed by the transfer to a company owned by international mining conglomerates, BHP and Rio Tinto. The Members note that the two foreign companies have significant ties to the PRC, either through ownership or the sales of their mining products. The Members also highlight the proximity of the project to Luke Air Force Base, a major U.S. military operational and training facility, which is one of the sensitive installations on the CFIUS “List of Military Installations and Other U.S. Government Sites.”  Given that the transaction raises potential national security risks given the strategic importance of critical minerals like copper and the site’s location, the Members believe that a review by CFIUS is merited. 

“In the FY15 National Defense Authorization Act, Congress directed USFS to transfer 2,422 acres of the Tonto National Forest to Resolution Copper, which it defined as “a Delaware limited liability company, including any successor, assign, affiliate member, or joint venturer.” The statutory language explicitly failed to acknowledge that Resolution Copper is owned by BHP and Rio Tinto, two of the largest foreign mining corporations in the world,” wrote the lawmakers. “Taken together, the facts outlined in this letter present a potential major national security concern: the transfer of one of America’s largest undeveloped critical mineral deposits to a foreign-owned entity with substantial financial ties to the PRC, in close proximity to sensitive U.S. military installations and emerging advanced weapons infrastructure.”

In closing, the lawmakers urge CFIUS to conduct a comprehensive review of the transaction and assess the risks associated with foreign influence over the extraction, processing, and disposition of critical minerals from U.S. public lands, as well as the implications of long-term industrial operations near sensitive military and defense infrastructure.  

Read the full letter HERE.