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Lawmakers urge cheaper nickel materials after penny phase-out

Republican lawmakers want the Treasury to study cheaper materials for the nickel, which costs about 13 cents to make. The push follows the decision to stop minting pennies.

2 outlets · 0L · 0C · 2R First reported Account updated
Image: Fox News
Image: New York Post

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The story, neutrally told

Right · 2Lawmakers want the Treasury Department to find cheaper ways to produce the nickel, after Congress moved to eliminate the penny. Right · 2House GOP Conference Chair Lisa McClain, R-Mich., said: "If it costs 13 cents to make a five-cent coin, Washington should fix the problem instead of wasting more taxpayer money." She said her bill gives Treasury a path to make nickels at lower cost without disrupting how Americans use them. Right · 1Sen. Cynthia Lummis, R-Wyo., who led the bill in the Senate, pointed to growing use of cards and stablecoins for everyday purchases. She said she hopes a cheaper way to produce the nickel can be found so it "remains economically viable for years to come."

Right · 2Nickels are currently made of 25% nickel and 75% copper. Fox News reported that they are produced at a loss of roughly eight cents per coin, according to the latest data. Right · 1According to Fox News, the bipartisan Common Cents Act passed both the House and Senate unanimously earlier this year but has not yet received President Donald Trump's signature. The White House did not respond to a request for comment on whether and when he plans to sign it. Right · 1The bill would authorise a lower-cost nickel composition if testing shows it would cut production costs without significantly disrupting coin-operated machines such as vending machines, according to a release on McClain's site.

Right · 1The Treasury announced last December that the U.S. Mint would stop producing pennies, which then cost more than three times their value to make. The administration projected immediate savings of $56 million. Fox News noted the decision could be reversed by a future administration unless Trump signs the bill. Right · 1Fox News reported it is unclear how much appetite there is for ending nickel production altogether. It noted that Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in May 2025 the U.S. could "retool" the nickel to make it cheaper.

Every sentence links to the reporting it rests on. The pill in front of each says where its sources sit: Left, Centre or Right when one side supplies at least half of them, Mixed when they are evenly split. The number is how many outlets it cites.

Left0 outlets

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Centre0 outlets

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Right2 outlets

Framing
Both outlets present the nickel as the next target of efforts to cut wasteful government spending after the penny, quoting Republican lawmakers on taxpayer cost. The New York Post's piece rewrites Fox's report in a lighter, punning tone.
Emphasis
Production cost per coin, taxpayer money, and McClain's 'common sense' reform quote. Fox adds Lummis's comments, the pending presidential signature and the Treasury's projected penny savings.
Leaves out or plays down
Neither outlet includes opposition or expert views on changing the nickel. The New York Post leaves out that the bill awaits Trump's signature and that the measure is a materials study.
Charged language
“Congress killed the penny”“now it's coming for the 13-cent nickel”“Now that’s a… change.”“wasting more taxpayer money”“chopping block”
For example
“another coin collecting dust in people's wallets could be on the chopping block next” — Fox News
“Congress may scrap the nickel as we know it after officially killing off the penny, according to a report.” — New York Post