Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) caught Interior Secretary Deb Haaland Tuesday when he said China stands to gain greatly from the sweeping mandates imposed by President Joe Biden on electric vehicles.

"On the subject of these sweeping mandates related to electric vehicles that the Biden administration imposed, including, now, for our military, the metals needed to make the lithium-ion batteries in those vehicles are, of course, lithium, nickel, graphite, and cobalt," Hawley pointed out to Haaland.

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"Can you tell me what nation is the largest of refined lithium in the world?" he asked.

"No, I can't," Haaland replied.

"It's China," Hawley said.

The senator then asked similar questions, revealing that China is the largest producer of refined cobalt and the largest exporter of natural graphite.

"In all of these instances, these mandates, your decision to trade off our energy security in favor of a radical climate change agenda is making us more and more dependent on China," Hawley said. "At the same time, you are denying mining, blocking mining, blocking permits for mines in this country that would allow us to develop nickel and copper and cobalt."

The Twin Metals mine in Minnesota is a prime example of what he was referencing, he said.

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A ban on mining in the boundary waters in Minnesota, the home of Twin Metals, was enacted earlier this year.

"It's an iconic place," Haaland said. "Of course [it's] very valuable ecological system to many plants, animals, and species."