Murkowski, Begich and Coffman Write to Sec. Def.
On January 28, 2010, Alaskan Sens. Mark Begich (D) and Lisa Murkowski (R) and Rep. Mike Coffman (R-Colo.) sent a letter to Defense Secretary Robert Gates questioning why the Pentagon has yet to compile a comprehensive list of what rare earth minerals the country is most dependent on China for.
China, as we know, controls nearly all of the world's rare earth production.
The Members of Congress write, "new sources may not alleviate supply shortages faced by DOD. Additionally manufacturing capabilities... are virtually non-existent in the United States."
