S.Amdt. 6456

SA 6456, submitted by Mr. Hickenlooper, aims to add a new section (Section 1050) to bill S. 4784. The purpose of this addition is to require a report on critical defense mineral requirements and the resiliency of the munitions supply chain.

Purpose and Changes

The amendment requires the Secretary of Defense, working with the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment, the Director of the Defense Logistics Agency Strategic Materials, and the Director of the United States Geological Survey, to provide a report to congressional defense committees within 180 days of the Act's enactment.

The report must include:

• Assessments of required minerals and materials to replenish munitions spent in U.S. Central Command operations since February 2026, meet inventory goals for various Indo-Pacific contingency scenarios, and estimate how long current stockpiles can sustain production before surge production from the U.S. or allies is needed.

• Mapping of chokepoints for each critical mineral, specifically identifying sole-source, near-sole-source, or those controlled by the People's Republic of China or other U.S. adversaries across all stages from extraction to manufacturing.

• Analysis of the National Defense Stockpile, including minerals that are not currently stockpiled and whether existing stocks are in usable forms that avoid foreign dependency.

• A munition-to-materials crosswalk for interceptors and munitions to detail necessary industrial inputs and materials.

• A prioritized list of the 10 most significant bottlenecks affecting inventory reconstitution and munitions replenishment.

• Recommendations for closing gaps through appropriation or legislative authorities, establishing supply agreements with allies, and creating a Department of Defense analytic capability to link munitions spending to mineral demand and integrate supply chain assessments into planning and acquisition decisions.