Sens. Portman, Peters sponsor bill to research supply chain vulnerabilities

U.S. Sens. Rob Portman (R-OH) and Gary Peters (D-MI) introduced last week legislation that would direct the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to research how supply chain vulnerabilities could threaten U.S. homeland security.

The Domains Critical to Homeland Security Act will not only identify vulnerabilities but strengthen the manufacturing sector, Portman said.

“Between shortages of medical supplies and semiconductors, the past year and a half has exposed how offshoring of our manufacturing base has weakened our homeland security,” said Senator Portman. “This bipartisan legislation puts the best and brightest minds at DHS on the job to identify where we have vulnerabilities in our supply chains and develop solutions to strengthen American manufacturing and re-shore jobs in critical sectors, and I urge my colleagues to join in supporting this much-needed legislation,” Portman, ranking member of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, said.

U.S. Reps. John Katko (R-NY) and Bennie Thompson (D-MS) introduced similar legislation in the House of Representatives.

“Our overreliance on foreign manufacturers poses serious national security and economic risks, as we saw most recently with the shortage of semiconductor chips that hurt autoworkers and manufacturers chair of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, said. “This commonsense legislation will help federal agencies and Congress support increased domestic production of critical supplies, create good-paying American jobs, and protect our national security.”