Washington, Aug. 8 -- US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Friday highlighted the Department's flagship "Pax Silica" initiative, led by Under Secretary Jacob Helberg, as the cornerstone of a broader strategic drive to secure critical supply chains, protect national sovereignty, and partner with the private sector and global allies.

Speaking at President Donald Trump's roundtable on American Mining where Trump announced a $3 billion investment in domestic mining projects and workforce development, Rubio praised Helberg's leadership in designing the initiative.

"Under the leadership of someone who needs to be recognised, our Under Secretary Jacob Helberg...he came up with something called Pax Silica, and it's an initiative that leads our ...