8 Democrats and 8 Republicans co-sponsored Congresswoman’s bill to make major fixes to stockpile, improve national preparedness, access to PPE
WASHINGTON, DC — U.S. Rep. Elissa Slotkin's (MI-08) Strengthening America's Strategic National Stockpile Act passed the House of Representatives with overwhelming bipartisan support this afternoon.
Slotkin's legislation, which she introduced with Reps. David McKinley (R-WV), Kim Schrier (D-WA), and Richard Hudson (R-NC), would reduce America's dependence on foreign sources for critical medical supplies needed to fight COVID-19 and any future health crises. The bill makes much-needed improvements and updates to America's Strategic National Stockpile (SNS), and ramps up domestic manufacturing of those supplies here in the United States.
The package of legislation would make long overdue changes to the SNS including:
- Improving maintenance of and transparency around the stockpile to ensure its supplies are in good working order and ready to use if and when a crisis hits;
- Boosting manufacturing of critical supplies in America to diversify sources of personal protective equipment (PPE) and partner with industry to replenish existing stocks;
- Providing more federal resources to states to expand or maintain their own strategic stockpiles; and
- Bringing transparency to stockpile allocations by requiring a report to Congress on all requests for stockpile supplies during the pandemic and the response to each request.
Slotkin introduced the legislation in the last Congress after weeks of working with district health care providers to find sources for those desperately needed medical supplies as cases surged in the spring. The bill includes provisions originally introduced as part of Slotkin's Made in America Medical Supply Chain Initiative.
Reps. David McKinley (WV-01), Richard Hudson (NC-08), Kim Schrier (WA-08), Diana DeGette (CO-01), Buddy Carter (GA-01), G.K. Butterfield (NC-01), Jackie Walorski (IN-02), Joe Neguse (CO-02), Fred Upton (MI-06), Tom Malinowski (NJ-07), Michael C. Burgess (TX-26), Debbie Dingell (MI-12), Jeff Van Drew (NJ-02), Darren Soto (FL-09) and Brian Fitzpatrick (PA-01) are original co-sponsors of the House bill.
The package passed in the House last year, and Sens. Maggie Hassan (D-NH) and Bill Cassidy (R-LA) introduced the bill in the Senate this summer.
"One of the main lessons learned of the COVID-19 is that we rely on nations like China far too much for important products," said Rep. McKinley. "The American people should not have to beg rival nations for essential health care needs like masks, testing swabs, and medicine. This legislation will not only make America more secure and prepared for future emergencies, it will bolster American manufacturing and create good jobs."
"Strengthening our PPE stockpile, domestic manufacturing and supply chains have never been more important for our economy and our national security," said Rep. Hudson. "As part of my work to prepare for the next pandemic, I am glad the House has passed our Strengthening America's Strategic National Stockpile Act. I look forward to continuing to advance this bipartisan bill until it is law."
"I'm thrilled that this bipartisan bill has passed the House. The Strategic National Stockpile is meant to be our national safety net during a crisis. This pandemic exposed real deficiencies in our SNS. And new concerns about supply chain disruptions show that, without proper readiness, in the future we may not have enough equipment on hand to keep our communities safe" said Rep. Schrier, M.D. "This legislation to bolster our SNS is vital- opening up all avenues to build and secure our stockpile, and getting supplies out to states. We will experience pandemics and other natural disasters again. We need to fortify the stockpile to be prepared for the next crisis."
"There's no way to predict when a global health crisis, like the COVID-19 pandemic, is going to occur," said Rep. DeGette. "That's why it's vital that we remain vigilant and ready at all times. The time to prepare for the next public health crisis is now and this legislation will ensure our national strategic stockpile has the resources we need to respond effectively and efficiently to such emergencies when they arise."
"Once again, the House has demonstrated overwhelming bipartisan support for this important measure to better equip states to respond to emergencies," said Rep. Carter. "Expanding and bolstering strategic stockpiles are important steps to improve our response to future health emergencies. I encourage the Senate to take up and pass this important legislation. We should also, however, take up bipartisan proposals to reduce our dependence on foreign sources for equipment, devices, medicines, and their components critical to our economic and national security."
"The Strategic National Stockpile is an essential part of the federal medical response infrastructure and can supplement medical countermeasures needed by states, tribal nations, and territories during public health emergencies," said Rep. Butterfield. "The transparency and accountability provisions and pilot programs in the Strengthening America's Strategic National Stockpile Act will ensure our country is prepared and has the resources we need to combat the coronavirus pandemic and any public health crises to come."
"As our nation recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic, we must end our dependence on the Chinese Communist Party for the production of medicines, PPE, and other critical supplies. Secure and resilient supply chains are vital to our national security and Americans' health," said Rep. Walorski. "To fully prepare for the next crisis and better protect front line health care workers, we need to boost U.S. manufacturing of PPE and strengthen the Strategic National Stockpile. This bipartisan legislation – which includes my bill with Congresswoman Dingell to incentivize production of critical medical items at home in America – will strengthen our national security, protect Americans, and ensure we can maintain a reliable reserve of lifesaving supplies."
"The COVID-19 pandemic really opened our eyes to the urgent need to ramp up domestic manufacturing and production of critical medical supplies like masks, gloves, and other important PPE. The bottom line is – we cannot continue to rely on foreign countries like China to supply our healthcare workers with the tools and resources they need to protect themselves and save lives," said Rep. Upton. "This bipartisan bill to strengthen the Strategic National Stockpile is common sense and would ensure that we get lifesaving care into the right hands at the right time. I am glad to see this legislation pass the House and encourage my Senate colleagues to support it."
"We must never again be dependent on China or any other country for PPE, as we were when we experienced shortages at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic," said Rep. Malinowski. "Today the House is acting to ensure we are ready for any future public health crisis."
"The COVID-19 pandemic has shown the importance of ensuring that the United States has adequate manufacturing capacity and stockpiles of PPE and other medical equipment to improve our preparedness for future public health emergencies," said Rep. Dingell. "The bipartisan Strengthening America's Strategic National Stockpile Act, which also includes my provision to boost domestic manufacturing, meets this need by making robust, long-term investments in our nation's Strategic National Stockpile and manufacturing capability. I am grateful for this legislation's passage today, and I urge my Senate colleagues to support this effort that is vital to both our public health and national security."
"The COVID-19 pandemic has shown us the importance of a well-prepared and well-maintained national stockpile," said Rep. Van Drew. "This legislation is an important first step in ensuring that America is equipped to handle future health emergencies without having to rely on foreign adversaries for critical supplies."
"The COVID-19 pandemic taught us that we must be prepared to provide for our country when an emergency strikes," said Rep. Soto. "The Strengthening America's National Stockpile Act is exactly what we need to ensure that our frontline workers have everything they need to properly respond in times of crisis and ensure that we never have to experience such a shortage again. I am proud of the House for uniting in a bipartisan manner and hope the Senate understands the urgency of getting this bill to President Biden's desk."
"I am pleased to see the House passed our bipartisan Strengthening America's Strategic National Stockpile Act," said Rep. Fitzpatrick. "The COVID-19 pandemic exposed major gaps in our supply chain and national stockpile of critical medical supplies. This legislation will reconstitute our healthcare and public safety supply chain back to the United States, so that we are better prepared for future public health emergencies."
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