Congressman Morgan Griffith (R-VA-09) has introduced a bill to require the federal government to enter into partnerships with domestic manufacturers of PPE in order to ensure supply during national emergencies.
Under the Domestic SUPPLY Act, eligible domestic manufacturers would be required to be headquartered in the United States, manufacture in the United States 100 percent of the products they would supply, and be majority owned and operated by American citizens.
The full text of the bill can be read here.
Griffith recently signed a letter with more than 120 Republican House colleagues to Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) expressing outrage that the House is supplying Chinese-made KN95 masks to members of Congress and staff.
“The United States should never again be dependent upon foreign suppliers of personal protective equipment during an emergency like the coronavirus pandemic,” said Griffith. “Americans have the knowledge and the skills to manufacture sufficient quality PPE, and our national security and public health demand that we have a stable domestic supply of this equipment. My bill would direct the Federal Government to build up domestic manufacture of PPE so we are prepared for the next emergency, not reliant upon foreign suppliers such as in Asia.”
“The pandemic has shown the importance of manufacturing masks and other protective equipment here in the United States,” said David Thornhill, president and owner of Integrated Textile Solutions of Salem. “The Federal Government should be looking to our country’s homegrown businesses to meet this need, not abroad. The Domestic SUPPLY Act would encourage production of quality protective gear in the United States and support an industry essential to fighting this pandemic and future emergencies.”
“The U.S. mask manufacturing industry that helped America solve its PPE shortages in 2020 is at risk of collapsing because, today, states and private businesses choose to favor lower-quality made masks from companies overseas from countries like China,” said Brent Dillie, owner of Premium-PPE, a U.S.-based mask manufacturing company located in Virginia Beach. “The Domestic SUPPLY Act would solve this current American market collapse by committing the federal government to prioritize the purchase of American-made masks and other PPE over those made overseas. This legislation would not only ensure Americans’ health and welfare is secure during a pandemic, but would also return good paying manufacturing jobs to the United States. American mask manufacturers and their employees thank Congressman Morgan Griffith for his leadership on an issue so critically important to us all.”
“Thanks to the support of Congressman Morgan Griffith and the Domestic SUPPLY Act of 2022, the domestic mask industry that has been decimated over the last year will now be able to start to repair itself,” said Nicolas Smit, executive director of the American Mask Manufacturer’s Association. “America’s interests will finally be prioritized over China’s. The manufacturers and entrepreneurs that listened to the call to help save America in 2020 by creating a robust domestic mask industry & over 8,000 jobs will now be able to help save Americans and bring back the 6,000 plus jobs that were lost in 2021. There will no longer be a need to send Congress masks made by foreign adversaries while also hoping they are not one of the 6/10 counterfeit KN95 masks that actually keep them in harm’s way.”
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Chris Graham
