The Supply Chain Resiliency Act will alleviate current supply chain bottlenecks and prevent future disruptions by investing in American companies
Washington, D.C. – As ongoing, pandemic-related supply chain disruptions impact businesses and consumers, U.S. Senators Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) and Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.) joined Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) in introducing new legislation to help address ongoing challenges and strengthen the U.S. supply chain. The Supply Chain Resiliency Act will alleviate current supply chain bottlenecks and prevent future disruptions by investing in American companies, reducing our reliance on foreign supply chains, and ensuring that critical products are made in America.
“The coronavirus pandemic has exposed the weakness of the world’s supply chains, and we need to make sure we’re doing everything possible to get Nevadans the products they need and lower costs for families,” said Senator Cortez Masto. “As we recover from the pandemic and rebuild our robust consumer economy, we need to focus on supporting businesses that make products here in the United States, not overseas. I’ll always champion legislation that invests in American manufacturing and the extraordinary businesses across Nevada that are already producing American-made goods, because I know this is the best way to protect our health and boost our economy.”
“Nevadans depend on reliable access to everyday goods, but supply chain disruptions and bottlenecks have continued to hinder businesses and hurt consumers throughout this pandemic,” said Senator Rosen. “We need swift action to get our supply chains back on track, and this bill will help resolve disruptions and bring down rising costs by investing in American manufacturing and making it easier to increase production of critically needed materials right here at home.”
At a Senate Finance Committee hearing last week, Senator Cortez Masto discussed supply chain issues and pressed the Export-Import Bank witnesses on what they could do to help alleviate bottlenecks and shortages for U.S. companies. Cortez Masto’s bills to promote a domestic critical mineral supply chain and expand domestic manufacturing in batteries were included in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, passed by the Senate earlier this year.
Last month, Senator Rosen introduced the Strategic Planning for Emergency Medical Manufacturing Act. This bipartisan legislation would direct the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to develop and maintain a voluntary network of domestic manufacturers to produce medical supplies during severe shortages, and create a streamlined process for U.S. manufacturers to work with the department to determine production capacity, technical assistance needs, and opportunities for federal contracts.
The Supply Chain Resiliency Act would create an Office of Supply Chain Resiliency at the Commerce Department charged with monitoring, researching, and addressing vulnerable supply chains. The Office would provide loans, loan guarantees, and grants to small and medium manufacturers to allow them to address supply chain bottlenecks by expanding production. In order to ensure adequate labor supply, safe working conditions, and labor-management cooperation, the legislation also includes strong labor protections as a condition of expansion support. Through committed long-term low-cost financial support, the Office of Supply Chain Resiliency would provide incentives for manufacturers seeking to expand production in the United States and the companies that get their goods to market.
The Supply Chain Resiliency Act is endorsed by the AFL-CIO and the United Steelworkers, and the text can be found here.
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