Fifty-four Democratic members of the U.S. Congress have raised serious concerns over Washington’s expanding critical-minerals agreements, placing the Democratic Republic of Congo’s strategic partnership with the United States under particular scrutiny.
In a letter dated August 17, 2026, addressed to U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, the lawmakers demanded greater transparency, congressional oversight and enforceable safeguards covering human rights, labour standards, environmental protection and governance.
The lawmakers said they support efforts to strengthen U.S. critical-mineral supply chains and reduce dependence on China, but warned that Washington should not pursue those objectives through agreements that could expose mineral-producing countries to weak oversight or reinforce extractive economic models.
The DRC features prominently in their concerns because of its enormous mineral reserves, particularly cobalt, which is crucial to batteries and other technologies underpinning the global energy transition.
The lawmakers singled out the Strategic Partnership Agreement between Washington and Kinshasa, saying it grants U.S. companies a “right of first offer” on certain mining concessions and could significantly reshape the way the country’s mineral resources are developed.
They argued that the agreement has opened the way for foreign mining companies to gain greater access to Congolese mineral wealth at a time when eastern DRC remains affected by armed conflict, displacement and allegations of serious human-rights violations.
They also questioned reports that the United States helped finance a paramilitary force intended to protect mining operations in the DRC. In a list of questions to the administration, the lawmakers asked what measures would ensure such a force respects human rights and internationally recognised labour rights, including freedom of association.
Another sensitive issue raised in the letter concerns businessman Dan Gertler. The lawmakers said reports that Washington could lift Magnitsky Act sanctions on Gertler to facilitate a cobalt transaction were “especially troubling.”
Their intervention underscores the increasingly strategic importance of Congolese cobalt in Washington’s effort to secure mineral supply chains outside China.
The DRC dominates global cobalt mining and also possesses major deposits of copper and other minerals increasingly important to electric vehicles, renewable-energy infrastructure, electronics, defence technologies and advanced manufacturing. This makes access to Congolese resources an important element of competition among the United States, China and other major economies.
However, the lawmakers warned that securing minerals should not leave producing countries confined to supplying raw materials while higher-value processing and manufacturing takes place elsewhere.
They asked the Trump administration to explain how its strategy would support partner countries in developing domestic processing and manufacturing capacity, rather than limiting them to “extractive roles.” They said mineral partnerships should promote economic development rather than dependence.
The congressional group also raised broader constitutional concerns about how the administration is negotiating critical-minerals agreements.
According to the letter, mineral-related trade negotiations should allow public participation and congressional review, citing Congress’ constitutional authority over international trade. The lawmakers said they were particularly alarmed by reports that the administration was considering “trade-restricting measures” during negotiations without sufficient congressional involvement.
They noted that criticism of executive action on critical minerals crosses administrations, pointing to objections previously raised by both Republican and Democratic congressional leaders over the Biden administration’s critical-minerals agreement with Japan.
The lawmakers said the Trump administration has expanded the approach through mineral agreements and provisions contained in broader reciprocal-trade arrangements.
They further complained that an earlier letter sent to Secretary Rubio by more than 50 House members seeking information about negotiations with the DRC had gone unanswered.
Their concerns extend beyond Congo. The lawmakers questioned critical-minerals provisions involving Malaysia, Argentina, Ecuador, Cambodia, Bangladesh and Zambia, arguing that some arrangements could weaken the ability of developing countries to use export restrictions and other industrial policies to encourage domestic value addition.
They also alleged that U.S. development assistance had been used as leverage during mineral negotiations with Zambia, citing reports involving healthcare and HIV assistance. They warned that linking essential assistance to mineral negotiations could damage relations with partner countries and undermine broader American strategic interests.
Another major concern is the financial exposure of U.S. taxpayers.
The lawmakers said billions of dollars in loans, loan guarantees and federal equity investments could be channelled into mining and mineral-processing projects through institutions including the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation and Export-Import Bank.
Without strong safeguards, they warned, such arrangements could transfer substantial investment risks to taxpayers while allowing private companies to retain profits from successful projects.
They also raised concerns about potential conflicts of interest, preferential treatment and insufficient oversight, particularly where the U.S. government acquires equity stakes in critical-mineral companies.
The lawmakers further questioned proposed price-floor mechanisms for critical minerals, warning that poorly designed arrangements could create antitrust concerns or inadvertently benefit Chinese companies operating elsewhere in global supply chains.
They consequently asked the administration to provide answers on ten areas ranging from environmental and labour safeguards to financing, price floors, deep-sea mining and the economic benefits accruing to mineral-producing countries.
Their central demand is for a critical-minerals strategy built around transparent negotiations, congressional accountability, enforceable environmental and human-rights standards, and greater value addition in producing countries.
“In light of these concerns, we call for a transparent and accountable negotiation process,” the lawmakers wrote, while urging Washington to respect the sovereignty of partner countries and prevent a repetition of exploitative practices associated with earlier eras of mineral extraction.
The letter was signed by lawmakers including Linda T. Sánchez, Jared Huffman, Jonathan L. Jackson, Eleanor Holmes Norton, Lloyd Doggett, Kathy Castor, Mike Quigley, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ilhan Omar, Ro Khanna, Joaquin Castro, James McGovern and dozens of other Democratic members of Congress.
For Kinshasa, the congressional intervention places the U.S.-DRC mineral partnership at the centre of a wider debate over who ultimately benefits from the global race for cobalt and other strategic resources.
While Washington sees Congolese minerals as an important component of efforts to diversify supply chains away from China, the 54 lawmakers are demanding that access to those resources be accompanied by stronger guarantees that Congolese communities, workers and the wider economy share in the benefits—and that Congress has a meaningful role in scrutinising the agreements.