Duval Times

In a move to combat America's overreliance on China for pharmaceuticals and address supply chain vulnerabilities, U.S. Senator Marco Rubio and his colleagues have introduced the Further Strengthening America's Supply Chains and National Security Act. The bill aims to put an end to America's dependence on other countries for key drugs and prevent shortages of critical medications.

Senator Rubio, who released a report in 2019 highlighting the vulnerabilities in America's medical supply chain, emphasized the need to address the issue, especially in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. He stated, "The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted how vulnerable America's supply chains are...We cannot continue down this path."

Joining Senator Rubio as original cosponsors of the bill are Senators Mike Rounds and Kevin Cramer. Senator Rounds expressed concern about allowing foreign adversaries like China to have control over critical parts of the pharmaceutical supply chain. He stated, "We should never risk American lives by allowing our foreign adversaries, like China, to have control over critical parts of our pharmaceutical supply chain."

Senator Cramer echoed the sentiment, emphasizing the importance of prioritizing pharmaceutical and ingredient production within the United States. He said, "Just like energy and critical minerals, we have shifted too much of our medical supply chains to China and India. Instead, we should prioritize pharmaceutical and ingredient production here at home."

U.S. Representative Mike Waltz will also introduce companion legislation in the House, further emphasizing the need to address drug shortages and skyrocketing prices. Congressman Waltz highlighted the importance of domestic pharmaceutical production, stating, "For the health and safety of Americans, our medical supply chains cannot continue to be in the hands of foreign entities, including our adversaries like China."

The Further Strengthening America's Supply Chains and National Security Act aims to address the vulnerabilities in the pharmaceutical supply chain through several measures. It closes the loophole that allowed drugs with foreign active ingredients to qualify for government procurement as though they were made in the United States. Additionally, it improves oversight of facilities in China and other countries with questionable drug manufacturing quality standards. The bill also requires drug makers to share more information with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration about the sourcing of pharmaceutical ingredients.

This legislation builds upon Senator Rubio's previous efforts to address America's supply chain risks. In 2020, he introduced a version of this legislation as part of his plan to address the issue. He has also passed a law requiring the U.S. Department of Defense to conduct a study on the DoD's dependence on foreign-made pharmaceuticals.

With the introduction of the Further Strengthening America's Supply Chains and National Security Act, Senator Rubio and his colleagues are taking a proactive approach to safeguarding America's medical supply chain and reducing dependence on other countries for critical drugs.

For additional details, please follow this link: https://www.rubio.senate.gov/rubio-colleagues-introduce-bill-to-end-u-s-medical-supply-chain-dependence-on-china-address-shortages/