A poll released on Monday found that swing state voters across Georgia, Iowa, and Ohio back legislation, endorsed by the Trump White House, that would expand domestic critical mineral production.
Restoring Energy Dominance (RED) Coalition commissioned a poll that surveyed likely general election voters across Georgia, Iowa, and Ohio about America’s dependence on China for critical minerals, which are often used in semiconductor productions, military applications, and other essential functions for the country. The RED Coalition is a nonprofit that backs President Donald Trump’s efforts to enact an America First energy agenda.
In the polling memo the RED Coalition stated:
America is facing an energy crisis, and the United States remains dangerously dependent on our foreign adversaries like China for the critical minerals that power our economy, military, and national security. In a U.S. Senate swing state survey, we found that overwhelming majorities of general election voters in Georgia, Iowa, and Ohio support expanding domestic mineral production and reducing that reliance.
The poll found that roughly three-quarters or more of general election voters believe that the United States is too dependent on other countries for production of energy and other critical minerals.
Of likely Ohio general election voters, 74 percent support opening land for mining that is known to have crucial minerals such as copper and nickel; that number in Iowa is 68 percent, and in Georgia it is 75 percent.
The poll also found that these general election voters back H.J. Res. 140, a Congressional Review Act resolution that would reverse a Biden-era mining ban on some of the world’s largest deposits of copper and nickel. This includes 74 percent of Georgians, 69 percent of Iowans, and 71 percent of Ohioans.
In Ohio and Iowa, roughly 60 percent of those surveyed said that they would be more likely to vote for the Senate Republican candidate that voted for the legislation.
The resolution has passed through the House and awaits a Senate vote.
“Voting against a bill that reduces American dependence on China for critical materials is a politically problematic position in these competitive U.S. Senate races,” the RED Coalition polling memo states.
In January, the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) released the administration’s statement in support of the legislation.
“The United States possesses vast mineral resources that can create jobs, fuel prosperity, and significantly reduce our reliance on foreign nations,” the OMB statement reads. “It is in the national interest to unleash America’s affordable and reliable energy and natural resources. Doing so will restore American prosperity — including for those men and women who have been forgotten by our economy in recent years.”
RED Coalition surveyed 400 likely general election voters between March 28 and 31, and the survey has a 4.9 percent margin of error.