Davids Urges Support for American-Made Medical Supplies in Major Supply Chain Legislation

As major economic legislation to strengthen supply chains and increase America's global competitiveness enters final deliberations, Representative Sharice Davids wrote to Congressional leadership urging them to prioritize small businesses and American-made medical supplies. The letter follows Davids' meeting with President Biden on Wednesday, in which she emphasized the need to pass a bipartisan package that invests in American manufacturing.

Versions of the America COMPETES Act package have passed the House and Senate, and now lawmakers from both chambers proceed to a conference to iron out any differences. Currently, the bill includes a program to update the supply chain to the Strategic National Stockpile and avoid future medical equipment shortages like those we saw early in the pandemic. Davids' amendment, which passed the House in February, would ensure that small and mid-sized manufacturers are considered in that program, not just big corporations.

Now, as the bill moves ahead, Davids is reminding her colleagues how small manufacturers stepped up when our frontline workers faced devastating shortages of personal protective equipment—and urging them to preserve her amendment to harness their potential for future national emergencies.

"At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, hospitals and health care providers were quickly overwhelmed and faced devastating shortages of personal protective equipment. This was a direct effect of the long-standing decline of American manufacturing," wrote Davids. "As the pandemic continued, manufacturers across the country stepped up to the challenge…Now, with the strong Make it in America provisions included in the America COMPETES Act, we have the opportunity to resolve supply chain risks, reduce our reliance on foreign manufacturers, and support those small business champions."

After hearing the story of Lenexa-based manufacturer Dentec Safety Specialists, Davids helped them secure federal funding to pivot their business and fill the shortage of masks during the pandemic. Along with her amendment to the COMPETES Act, Davids also introduced the SUPPLIES Act, which would create a grant program for small and medium manufacturers that shift their production to manufacture PPE and testing supplies during future public health emergencies.

ICYMI: Rep. Davids spoke on the House floor last month about her amendment and addressing rising costs by supporting American small businesses:

Watch Rep. Davids' speech on YouTube here.

This comprehensive economic package contains several priorities for Davids, including historic investments in domestic semiconductor "chip" production. Davids has visited several local businesses impacted by the shortage, including the Fairfax General Motors plant that went idle for months last year and local medical device suppliers who have been struggling to serve patients. Additionally, the bill includes resources to strengthen supply chains, reduce inflation, and promote American global leadership at a critical time. Increased competition from China has cost the U.S. approximately 985,000 manufacturing jobs between 1999 and 2011.

In her letter, Davids drove home the need to address rising costs by making more goods in America, writing: "A lack of domestic PPE manufacturing, strained supply chains, and market concentration in China has led to the price gouging of life-saving medical supplies, widespread counterfeit PPE, health care providers being forced to unsafely reuse masks and gowns, and, undoubtedly, the prolonging of this public health crisis."

Read her full letter here.