GAO: U.S.-Japan minerals deal didn’t have to be submitted to Congress

The critical minerals agreement struck by the U.S. and Japan in 2023 is not a rule that should have been submitted to the House and Senate before it could take effect, the Government Accountability Office declared this week. Last October, Senate Finance Committee ranking member Mike Crapo (R-ID) asked GAO to decide whether the agreement was a rule “for purposes of the Congressional Review Act (CRA),” GAO’s May 23 decision notes. “CRA incorporates the definition of rule under the Administrative...