U.S. Sens. Rob Portman (R-OH) and Gary Peters (D-MI) introduced legislation last week that would strengthen domestic manufacturing efforts, particularly for personal protective equipment (PPE) leased through long-term Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) contracts.
The pair, who represent the Ranking Member and Chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, respectively, envision the effort as a means not only to ensure residents have the PPE they need to go about their lives but to buoy American manufacturing jobs. Accordingly, the bill is called the Make PPE in America Act.
“The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has made it evident that the American people should not have to rely so heavily on foreign countries for personal protective equipment, and that’s why we must bring PPE production back to our shores,” Portman said. “When I talk to PPE manufacturers about re-shoring this production to America, the number one thing I hear the need for long-term contracts. Multi-year contracts give producers the certainty to know that their investment in the United States will be worth it because the government will be there to buy the PPE they produce.”
Other legislative efforts to reduce foreign reliance include the recently introduced U.S. Pharmaceutical Supply Chain Review Act, targeting the pharmaceutical industry, specifically. They seem to represent growing dissatisfaction in Congress with supply issues raised by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
“Our reliance on foreign manufacturers for masks, gloves, and respirators presents an ongoing and concerning national security risk,” Peters said. “While the Biden Administration has made progress on this issue by fully activating the Defense Production Act and other mechanisms to help boost PPE production, there is more work to do. I have long raised the alarm about this ongoing problem, and it is critical that we continue incentivizing workers and companies in Michigan and across the country to manufacture PPE so we create jobs and improve our response to the ongoing and future pandemics.”
So far, the Make PPE in America Act’s supporters u\tside the senate include the National Council Textile Organization.