Iowa lawmakers are urging the U.S. Department of the Interior to add phosphate to its 2025 Critical Minerals List, citing rising fertilizer costs and concerns over reliance on foreign supply chains. District 4 Rep. Randy Feenstra and Sen. Chuck Grassley joined a letter led by Sen. Joni Ernst pressing Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum to designate phosphate as critical, following earlier success in securing potash’s inclusion. Feenstra says phosphate is vital to Iowa farmers. He notes that China controls approximately 40 percent of the current global production and has imposed export restrictions that disrupt U.S. access to critical agricultural inputs. Grassley, Ernst, Feenstra, and more than 60 colleagues signed a bipartisan, bicameral letter in support of the move. Lawmakers argued phosphate’s designation would stabilize supply chains, lower input costs, and safeguard U.S. food security. Iowa Reps. Ashley Hinson, Marianette Miller-Meeks, and Zach Nunn also signed. Read the legislators’ full letter included below.
_____