Republicans Press Hegseth to Bolster Lithium Production in US

A trio of Republican senators from Arkansas and Texas are urging Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to back and finance domestic suppliers of lithium, drawing attention to sites in their home states.

Sens. Tom Cotton and John Boozman, both of Arkansas, and John Cornyn of Texas are pressing the defense chief to bolster the US lithium industry including by using the Defense Production Act Title III. The program funnels federal money, at various stages, into domestic industrial base capabilities critical to the Pentagon and US military.

“This sends a clear signal to market participants that it’s worthwhile to invest in ...