America’s Last Safety Valve: Former CIA Advisor Reveals the Emergency Backstop Built into U.S. Law

Jim Rickards Says Century-Old “Federal Reserve” May Be Activated for the First Time in History

/EIN News/ -- WASHINGTON, April 24, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- What if the U.S. economy had a built-in pressure valve — a resource designed not for everyday use, but for a moment of national strain?

According to Jim Rickards, former CIA advisor and veteran economic strategist, that safety valve exists. It’s been part of U.S. law since the Reconstruction era. And for over a century, it’s never been touched.

“It was always meant to be there,” Rickards says. “Just not for normal times. It was built into the system as a kind of emergency release — and the pressure’s finally high enough.”

He’s referring to a strategic mineral reserve buried beneath federally controlled land — a resource protected by legal code since the 19th century, kept on standby for a time when the nation needed to pivot fast.

PROTECTED, NOT FORGOTTEN

The reserve is made up of physical materials — copper, lithium, silver, and rare earths — essential for defense, energy infrastructure, and next-gen technologies.

Unlike stimulus programs or strategic oil reserves, Rickards says this asset has never been monetized, never spent, and never factored into the country’s modern economic playbook.

“It wasn’t excluded by mistake,” he says. “It was held back — like a release valve, waiting for the right moment.”

THE MOMENT ARRIVES

Rickards believes that moment may have come following the 2024 U.S. Supreme Court decision overturning the Chevron Doctrine. The ruling dismantled decades of unchecked agency control, opening access to land and resources that had long been locked down.

“It’s like flipping a master switch,” Rickards explains. “What was off-limits for fifty years may now be fully available.”

A BACKUP PLAN BUILT INTO THE BLUEPRINT

Rickards compares the reserve to the original constitutional safety mechanisms — systems designed to protect against foreign dependence and institutional overreach.

“This isn’t a windfall. It’s a reset lever,” he says. “The people who built this country knew we’d face moments like this — and they designed something into the system to withstand it.”

He believes that activating this asset could reduce reliance on foreign adversaries and restore America’s self-reliance at a pivotal time in history.

About Jim Rickards

Jim Rickards is a lawyer, economist, and former advisor to the CIA, Pentagon, and U.S. Treasury. For over four decades, he’s been at the center of crisis response, financial war games, and national security strategy. He is the author of multiple bestsellers including Currency Wars, The Death of Money, and Aftermath.

Media Contact:
Derek Warren
Public Relations Manager
Paradigm Press Group
Email: dwarren@paradigmpressgroup.com