Barbara Humpton, President and CEO of USA Rare Earth, has defended the company's investment in the Trump administration amid congressional questions. The company's close ties with Cantor Fitzgerald, the financial firm led by Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and now overseen by his sons, have raised concerns about the deal's structure. Humpton stated that shareholders would be pleased with the engagement and that the focus of concern is the recoveryable ⁠heavy-rare-earth components. The Texas mine, where Humpton plans to use, has a relatively low grade of rare earths compared to peers and a preliminary feasibility study for the mine will not be completed until the end of the year, raising questions about its economics.