Public Citizen Expert to Testify at House Ways and Means Hearing on Critical Minerals
WASHINGTON, D.C. — On Wednesday, September 2nd, Public Citizen Global Trade Watch Director Melinda St. Louis will testify in a hearing before the House Committee on Ways and Means regarding strategic partnerships to secure U.S. supply chains for critical resources, with a particular focus on partnerships in Central Asia and Africa.
St. Louis will testify to the profound lack of transparency, harmful terms in the text made available for review, and risks of corruption and misuse of taxpayer financing in the web of critical minerals deals, frameworks, and MOUs the Trump administration has negotiated. St. Louis will also argue that, while it’s a reasonable goal to seek secure, diverse, reliable supply chains for minerals, the way we do so matters. Any critical minerals deals must require transparency and accountability by mining and processing firms, strong and enforceable protections for labor and human rights, and respect for the sovereignty and development goals of partner countries with vulnerable communities in resource-rich areas.
The hearing will take place on Wednesday, September 2, 2026, at 10:00 AM in 390 Cannon House Office Building. St. Louis is available for interviews before or after her testimony. To schedule time to talk, contact Aisha Tounkara at [email protected].
RESOURCES:
- “The Trump Administration’s Many Tools for Seizing Critical Minerals Abroad,” August 6, 2026
- “Trump’s U.S.-Malaysia Deal: Cementing Extractivist Colonialism,” December 2, 2025
- “Critical Minerals Trade Agreements Put Profits Over Human Rights and the Environment, Warn 35+ Organizations,” December 9, 2025
- “Trade and Critical Minerals: The Deadly Cost of Nickel Mining in Indonesia,” December 2025
- “Trade and Critical Minerals: The Deadly Cost of Cobalt Mining in the Congo,” October 2024