WASHINGTON, D.C. - Reps. Earl L. “Buddy” Carter (R-GA), Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA), and Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) officially launched the bipartisan Domestic Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Caucus for the 118th Congress.
The caucus will focus on advancing legislation that incentivizes more domestic production for essential medicines to reduce American reliance on foreign adversaries, head off potential supply chain disruptions, and ensure a steady supply of pharmaceuticals in the event of public health emergencies or natural disasters.
“When your life depends on access to a prescription drug, you do not want to rely on the Chinese Communist Party to deliver those medications,” said Rep. Carter. “Unfortunately, our pharmaceutical industry has been shipped overseas, at the expense of patients. The Domestic Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Caucus will provide supply chain security for every American and is another step towards re-shoring this important industry.”
“If COVID taught us anything, it’s that we can’t allow our country to be dependent on others for absolutely critical supplies like life-saving prescription drugs. There’s a bunch of Members of Congress, across the political spectrum, who have learned those hard COVID lessons and are hellbent on ensuring we don’t leave ourselves vulnerable again. In 2021, I led a task force to evaluate our defense supply chains, and pharmaceuticals were one of the specific issues we investigated. Launching this caucus to help re-shore pharmaceuticals will reduce our dependence on other countries, bring jobs back to places like Michigan, and help drive down costs for consumers across the country,” said Rep. Slotkin.
“Our domestic pharmaceutical manufacturers consistently innovate and save lives. They also are critical in ensuring our national security,” said Rep. Houlahan. “This bipartisan caucus knows how important it is to support and protect the domestic pharmaceutical industry and supply chain. The pandemic made it evident to all that ensuring that our key manufacturing processes stay close to home is essential to our health and safety. I look forward to continuing to work on this important topic.”
“One of the most valuable lessons of the pandemic is that we need to be better prepared for future emergencies by increasing domestic manufacturing of critical medical products,” said Congressman Bilirakis. “I’m proud to join my colleagues in establishing this Domestic Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Caucus to help us achieve that important readiness goal.”
