Without critical minerals life as we know it stops

Their absence would have significant consequences in the manufacturing of vital products and thus play a significant role in the national security, economy, community and infrastructure. 

Their supply chains are vulnerable to disruption. Including agriculture and utilities, the remaining 96% of the economy will not be able to function at all.

They are raw materials that can be extracted economically through human ingenuity. Mining, for example, constitutes only 2% of the US economy, with many resources still untapped or no longer available.