Senator Jeanne Shaheen Talks Foreign Relations and Rare Earth Minerals

Summary

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Bloomberg Talks

Episode: Senator Jeanne Shaheen Talks Foreign Relations and Rare Earth Minerals
Date: February 6, 2026
Guest: Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH)
Location: Live from Phoenix Tailings Rare Earths Processing Plant, Exeter, NH

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Episode Overview

This episode features Senator Jeanne Shaheen, a leading Democratic member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and the Senate Appropriations Committee. Broadcasting from the Phoenix Tailings rare earth processing facility in New Hampshire, Senator Shaheen discusses U.S. foreign policy and national security—most notably the unfolding crisis with Iran—and the urgent need to secure domestic supply chains for critical minerals and rare earths. The conversation also dives into current homeland security debates in Congress, specifically around ICE operations and border security.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. U.S.–Iran Tensions and Prospects for Diplomacy

— Timestamps: 00:27–03:14

• Current Situation: With the U.S. State Department urging citizens to leave Iran, tension mounts regarding potential military escalation.
  • Senator Shaheen emphasizes a diplomatic path:

    “Negotiations are always better than fighting. And I hope that these negotiations will lead to something.” (01:13, Shaheen)

• Military Posture: The U.S. has assembled a significant military presence near Iran, but intentions remain unclear.

  • “I don’t have any insights into the President’s thinking about this. But again, that’s why these talks are so important… there’s a lot riding on these talks.” (02:08, Shaheen)

• Role of U.S. Negotiators: Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are leading talks for the U.S.
  • Shaheen acknowledges the need for close Presidential ties and institutional backup:

    “It’s important to have somebody who can speak for the president... I think both Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner have that credibility.” (02:54, Shaheen)

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2. Securing America’s Supply of Rare Earth Minerals

— Timestamps: 03:14–07:17

• Dependence on China:
  • With 90% of rare earth processing controlled by China, vulnerability in critical industries is highlighted.

  • “...those are elements that are in everything from our appliances to our cars to our missiles and our aircraft... And right now, 90% of the processing... is being done in China. And so we are subject to whatever China’s whims are...” (04:17, Shaheen)

• Phoenix Tailings' Role: One of the few U.S. companies processing rare earths, utilizing mine tailings.

  • “What Phoenix does is to take mine tailings... and they have a process here to develop those into... some of the 17 rare earth minerals that are so important...” (05:12, Shaheen)

• Bipartisan Legislative Efforts—Secure Minerals Act:
  • Establishes a Strategic Resilience Reserve modeled after the Strategic Petroleum Reserve.
  • $2.5 billion in authorized funding to boost domestic rare earth processing and support small businesses.
  • Creation of a seven-member independent board (akin to the Federal Reserve Board) to oversee and recommend sector support.

  • “Our legislation... doesn’t just set up that reserve... What it also does is to support a domestic industry here... with access to capital markets... We would authorize $2.5 billion for the proposal...” (06:33, Shaheen)

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3. Capitol Hill Standoff—ICE Operations, Masking, and Security Reforms

— Timestamps: 07:17–11:08

• Pending Government Shutdown Threat:
  • Lawmakers face a deadline to avoid a DHS shutdown, with dispute over ICE agent policies, body cameras, and masking for protection.
  • Opposition quotes from Senators John Cornyn, Ted Budd, and Ted Cruz highlight deep partisan divides.
• Democratic Concerns:
  • Senator Shaheen stresses need for reform and open, responsible negotiations:

    “The American people are not only outraged, but many are afraid about the behavior of ICE. When ICE is able to kill American citizens with impunity... there is a problem.” (09:16, Shaheen)

  • She draws on her experience as Governor, noting New Hampshire law enforcement's transparent practices without masks.

  • “We need reform that addresses the concerns about how ICE is operating... That’s in everybody’s interest, it’s in Republican and Democratic interests to try and reach some accommodation.” (09:38, Shaheen)

• Local Impact in New Hampshire:
  • Shaheen addresses community fear and disruption, arguing for productive, nonpartisan reform.

  • “That’s not making our communities safer. That’s making people afraid... What they don’t want is people coming into their communities, disrupting their schools, disrupting their hospitals, disrupting their childcare centers.” (10:22, Shaheen)

  • Reiterates a focus on border security, criminal deportation, and constructive dialogue.

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Notable Quotes and Memorable Moments

• On Iran:

  • “Negotiations are always better than fighting. And I hope that these negotiations will lead to something.” (01:13, Shaheen)
  • “If we can reach some agreement around Iran’s support for terrorist groups in the region... that will be positive, not just for the region, but for global security.” (02:16, Shaheen)

• On Rare Earth Minerals:

  • “What Phoenix does is to take mine tailings... into... some of the 17 rare earth minerals that are so important in all of those appliances... to everything else that we use computers in the modern world.” (05:12, Shaheen)
  • “Right now, 90% of the processing of those elements is being done in China... That’s why companies like Phoenix Tailings are so important.” (04:17, Shaheen)

• On ICE and Homeland Security Reform:

  • “The American people are not only outraged, but many are afraid about the behavior of ICE. When ICE is able to kill American citizens with impunity on America’s streets, there is a problem.” (09:16, Shaheen)
  • “I hope [negotiations] are going to be able to achieve... some reforms. We ought to be able to sit down like adults responsibly and get something done and stop the name calling.” (11:00, Shaheen)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:27 — Introduction, Senator Shaheen joins live from the Phoenix Tailings plant
• 01:02 — Senator Shaheen’s take on the Iran crisis and potential war
• 02:06 — On U.S. military posture and diplomatic hopes with Iran
• 02:54 — Discussion of U.S. negotiators (Steve Witkoff, Jared Kushner)
• 03:54 — Phoenix Tailings and U.S. rare earth supply chain challenges
• 06:04 — Details and mechanisms of the Secure Minerals Act
• 07:17 — Homeland security, ICE reforms, partisan divides in Congress
• 09:16 — Shaheen on ICE transparency, community fears, and the way forward
• 10:05 — Local impact in New Hampshire and call for reforms

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Summary

Senator Jeanne Shaheen provides candid, nuanced insight into both international and domestic challenges facing the U.S. government—from high-stakes nuclear diplomacy with Iran to the pressing need for American control over critical mineral supply chains and the tangle of homeland security reforms. Her focus remains consistently on bipartisan solutions, transparency, and community well-being, calling for substantive reforms over political grandstanding.

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Transcript

[A]

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[B]

Bloomberg Audio Studios Podcasts Radio News. We're joined now by Democratic Senator Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire, an important voice as she is ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and also serves on the Senate Appropriations Committee. I should mention the Senator is joining us from a Rare Earths processing plant run by Phoenix Tailings in Exeter, New Hampshire. And Senator, we're looking forward to hearing more about why you're there. I want to ask you, though, first about this situation with Iran. As the State Department calls on American citizens to, to leave the country immediately, is this the prelude to war?

[C]

Well, I hope not. I think the talks in Amman are a very good sign. I think there is great concern about Iran, both their attempt to get a nuclear weapon and they're very close to that, as well as all of the support that they provide to terrorist groups across the Middle East. So negotiations are always better than fighting. And I hope that these negotiations will lead to something.

[B]

Well, I do hear you on that. But the President, of course, has kept military options on the table. We have a massive armada, as he likes to call it, off the coast of Iran prepared to strike. The USS Lincoln carrier strike group is there and we've put a number of other assets in the region. The President has repeatedly said things like help is on the way to protesters. He said this week that Iran should be very worried. Some have suggested that every time the President has assembled this much hardware, he has intended to use it. How about this time?

[C]

Well, we don't know. I don't have any insights into the President's thinking about this. But again, that's why these talks are so important. If we can reach some agreement around Iran's support for terrorist groups in the region, if we can reach some support around slowing down their effort to get a nuclear weapon, that will be positive, not just for the region, but for global security. So there's a lot riding on these talks. I hope they're going to stay at the table and come to an agreement.

[B]

Can I ask what you think about who's at the table? These are being framed as indirect talks, Senator, but we once again see the President's special envoy, Steve Witkoff, and his son in law, Jared Kushner, speaking for the United States. Are those the two people who should be in the room?

[C]

Well, I hope they've got some backup from the State Department as well. But the fact is it's important to have somebody who can speak for the president, who's close to the president, so that they have some credibility as they go into talks. And I think both Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner have that credibility.

[B]

Well, in the spirit of national security, we've been talking a lot about critical minerals and rare earths here in Washington. This week. The president gathered a number of countries, in fact, to start work on what is at least beginning as a $12 billion critical minerals stockpile. And it's something that you've been leaning into as well with your Secure Minerals Act. I'd like to ask you what you're looking at here. It's a bipartisan piece of legislation as you join us, as I mentioned from Phoenix Trailings, a rare earth processing plant with its eyes on American minerals and processed here in the United States. What would your legislation do to add to what the president's up to?

[C]

Well, Phoenix Tailings is a company here in Exeter, New Hampshire, where I am. As you can see from my backdrop right now, I've had a great opportunity to talk to the folks here. They're one of just a handful, a very small less than five companies in the United States that are actually doing the processing of rare earth minerals. And why that's so important, as you know and so many of your viewers understand, is because those are elements that are in everything from our appliances to our cars to our missiles and our aircraft. So they are critical to everything we do. And right now, 90% of the processing of those elements is being done in China. And so we are subject to whatever China's whims are about whether they're going to continue to sell us those rare earth elements. And that's why companies like Phoenix Tailings are so important. And what our legislation is designed to do is to try and support that domestic industry in the United States. What Phoenix does is to take mine tailings, so what's left over when mining is done, and they have a process here to develop those into one of this some of the 17 rare earth minerals that are so important in all of those appliances, everything, appliances to missiles to everything else that we use computers in the modern world. So it's really important for us to develop that domestic industry, and that's what our legislation does.

[B]

Well, the way you frame that is really important, Senator, because as we're constantly reminded in this Conversation about finding rare earths, critical minerals for anything from data centers to weapons to cars, as you put it, or even our cell phones. It's not so much finding the minerals, it's processing them. How will your legislation go to enhancing processing here in the United States?

[C]

Well, it sets up Strategic Resilience Reserve, we call it. That's sort of based on the Strategic Petroleum Reserve and very much like what the president is proposing in terms of his policies this week as part of this critical mineral summit that he had in Washington. And I think they complement each other. But our legislation doesn't just set up that reserve that takes allows us to stockpile those critical minerals. What it also does is to support a domestic industry here so that small businesses can develop. The industry that they can engage helps them with access to capital markets. With funding, we would authorize $2.5 billion for the proposal. And we're working in a bipartisan way. It would create a seven member board that would function sort of like the Federal Reserve Board over banking and be independent and make recommendations for how we could continue to support this industry.

[B]

Spending time with Senator Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire. And I have to ask you, Senator, about what's happening on Capitol Hill right now. And I know that lawmakers are out of town at the moment, but we've got another deadline. We're going to be sitting here a week from tonight possibly talking about the shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security. And I know you're familiar with the list of demands that that Senator Schumer and Democratic Leader Jeffries have sent to Republican leaders. Demasking is a big part of this body. Cameras, as noted already by the Department of Homeland Security. But also restrictions on the use of warrants, for instance, and some other training ideas that have been rejected out of hand by a number of your Republican colleagues in the Senate. We talked to several of them this week, Senator, including John Cornyn, Ted Budd and Ted Cruz. Let's listen to what they said. The reason that ice ages are having to wear masks is because the left is deliberately doxing them. They are targeting them. If they find out their identities. They are sending violent protesters to their homes. They are threatening their families. We've got them using body cams for their operations right now. I think that's a bipartisan idea. These ICE agents are being targeted by some of the anti ICE instigators and I think in some instances their identity should be protected. But this is just, to me, just a ridiculous request, Senator. I don't know how much of this is bluster at the outset of a controversial or difficult negotiation. But it sounds like Democrats and Republicans are oceans apart on these ideas. Does DHS shut down next week?

[C]

Well, that's what the negotiation is about. And you know, with respect to masking, obviously there would need to be a waiver to address any particular concerns about doxing. But I was governor in New Hampshire for three terms. The state police in New Hampshire, local law enforcement in New Hampshire never wore masks when they were going to a crime scene or going to arrest people. The fact is, the American people are not only outraged, but many are afraid about the behavior of ice. When ICE is able to kill American citizens with impunity on America's streets, there is a problem. And what we need is reform that addresses the concerns about how ICE is operating. It seems to me we ought to. That's in everybody's interest, it's in the population's interest, it's in Republican and Democratic interests to try and reach some accommodation. I hope that's what these negotiations are going to be able to achieve.

[B]

We've seen ICE deployed in the state of Maine. One of your neighbors, Senator, do you have any reason to believe that they would be deployed in New Hampshire?

[C]

Well, we've had ICE agents here arresting people. I've been to facilities where I talked child care center, where I hear from those who are working there that they have parents who are afraid to come and drop their children off because they're worried about ICE agents. There are people in schools in New Hampshire who are worried about agents. You know, that's not making our communities safer. That's making people afraid. I don't think that's most New Hampshire constituents that I talk to want a secure border. They want to send back the criminals who are here illegally. But what they don't want is people coming into their communities, disrupting their schools, disrupting their hospitals, disrupting their childcare centers. So we need to pass some reforms. We ought to be able to sit down like adults responsibly and get something done and stop the name calling.

[B]

Joining us live from Exeter, New Hampshire Democratic Senator Jeanne Shaheen. It's great to have you back, Senator. Good luck to your Patriots this weekend.

[A]

So have you heard the story about the prescription plan? With savings automatically built in, it's where a family of any size can feel confident the cost of their medication won't hold them back. Go to CMK CO Stories to learn how CVS Caremark helps members save just by being members. That's CMK CO Stories.