Republican Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley confronted a Biden official during a hearing Thursday over the administration’s decision to block mineral mining.Jaelith Hall-Rivera, the deputy chief of state and private forestry at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, was testifying before the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources when Hawley began questioning her about the Biden administration’s decision to prohibit mineral mining on nearly a quarter of a million acres in Minnesota. The administration’s move came after a 16-month review by the Department of Interior, which concluded that the land should be protected for 20 years. The study found that mining for minerals contaminated nearby waters. Hawley began by establishing agreement with Hall-Rivera that critical minerals are essential to U.S. energy security before noting that research indicates demand for cobalt, nickel and lithium are expected to skyrocket over the coming decades. (RELATED: Biden Admin Blocks Major Mining Project Days After Signing Deal With Child Labor H …