Chairman Rick Scott and Ranking Member Kirsten Gillibrand of the U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging have sent a letter to Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., raising concerns about the United States’ dependence on foreign-manufactured generic drugs and pharmaceutical ingredients, particularly from China and India. The senators asked HHS for detailed information about its efforts to strengthen supply chain resilience and requested updates on initiatives such as the Strategic National Stockpile (SNS) and the Strategic Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients Reserve (SAPIR).
The letter follows recent committee activities, including an investigative report led by Scott and Gillibrand that highlighted risks associated with reliance on overseas drug manufacturing. The committee also held hearings in September and October focusing on drug safety, availability, and strategies to improve domestic pharmaceutical supply chains.
In their correspondence, Scott and Gillibrand wrote: “The Senate Special Committee on Aging is examining how vulnerable pharmaceutical supply chains present a risk to supply chain security. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) plays the principal role in identifying and responding to drug shortages in the United States, coordinating key agencies and activities to ensure every American can access the lifesaving medicines they need. Given this essential responsibility, we write to request information regarding HHS’s efforts to address existing supply chain vulnerabilities to bolster the nation’s public health preparedness and national security.”
They noted that approximately 91 percent of prescriptions filled in the U.S. each year are for generic drugs, many of which rely on active pharmaceutical ingredients (API) or key starting materials (KSM) sourced from China or India. The senators warned that limited oversight over foreign manufacturing could create vulnerabilities that might lead to shortages or safety issues during crises.
The letter also referenced reports that the Food and Drug Administration has granted exemptions allowing imports from certain foreign factories despite substandard manufacturing conditions, with many exemptions involving facilities in China and India.
The senators expressed concern that geopolitical instability could disrupt access to essential medicines. They cited a recent trade dispute between the U.S. and China over rare earth elements as an example of how trade restrictions could be used as leverage, raising fears that similar measures could affect pharmaceuticals.
They pointed out that about 40 percent of generic medications are produced by only one FDA-approved manufacturer, making those drugs especially susceptible to shortages if disruptions occur.
The letter further mentioned actions taken following lessons learned during the COVID-19 pandemic, including the creation of SAPIR in 2020 under the Trump administration. An executive order issued in August 2025 directed that SAPIR be stocked with APIs for critical medicines.
Scott and Gillibrand requested a briefing from HHS by November 30, 2025, seeking inventories of stockpiled medicines and details on agency coordination efforts. They also asked for cost breakdowns related to maintaining SAPIR facilities, protocols for releasing APIs from reserves, strategies for replenishing expiring stockpiles, incentives for domestic manufacturing resilience, assessments of potential impacts if exports from China or India were interrupted, staffing levels at relevant agencies, and plans for enhancing national preparedness.
“As chairman and ranking member of the Senate Special Committee on Aging, the health and safety of Americans, especially our seniors, is our top priority,” they wrote. “We must work to address existing supply chain vulnerabilities, including our nation’s extreme reliance on foreign generic drugs. Inaction to address these supply chain concerns could be catastrophic. We stand ready to support HHS in bolstering the nation’s public health preparedness and national security.”
