U.S. Military Leaders Advocate for Critical Mineral Tax Credits

In May 2025, a coalition of 23 retired U.S. military leaders, including Admiral Dennis Blair and General Joseph Dunford, urged Congress to preserve critical mineral tax credits established under the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). These credits support domestic production of essential minerals like lithium, cobalt, and nickel, vital for clean energy technologies and national defense. The military leaders, affiliated with the energy security group SAFE, emphasized that repealing these incentives could jeopardize $125 billion in investments and 100,000 jobs across 15 states, while increasing reliance on foreign supply chains, particularly from China.