The Pentagon has paused an $80 million loan to ReElement Technologies Corp., sparking a dispute with the White House. The loan, announced in November 2025, aimed to bolster U.S. rare earth refining capabilities but remains undisbursed six months later. Pentagon officials question the scalability of ReElement's chromatography-based refining technology and its revenue projections, causing friction with White House officials who see the loan as crucial to reducing reliance on Chinese minerals. ReElement, based in Indiana, specializes in purifying rare earth oxides from recycled materials, producing elements like neodymium and dysprosium essential for military and clean energy applications. The loan is part of a broader $700 million financing package, primarily benefiting Vulcan Elements Inc., and is integral to a $1.4 billion initiative to establish a domestic rare earth supply chain. China's dominance in rare earth processing and recent export restrictions have intensified the debate over U.S. self-sufficiency in critical minerals.