September 22, 2020 - Issue: Vol. 166, No. 164 — Daily Edition116th Congress (2019 - 2020) - 2nd Session
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WE SHOULD NEVER AGAIN DEPEND ON FOREIGN SUPPLIERS FOR SUPPLIES WE NEED TO KEEP AMERICANS SAFE; Congressional Record Vol. 166, No. 164
(House of Representatives - September 22, 2020)
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[Pages H4649-H4650] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] WE SHOULD NEVER AGAIN DEPEND ON FOREIGN SUPPLIERS FOR SUPPLIES WE NEED TO KEEP AMERICANS SAFE The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from Michigan (Ms. Slotkin) for 5 minutes. Ms. SLOTKIN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commend and thank my colleagues in the House for passing my bill, the Strengthening America's Strategic National Stockpile Act, with bipartisan, unanimous consent to ensure we never again depend on foreign suppliers for supplies we need to keep Americans safe. This bill was truly a bipartisan effort: 10 Democrats and 10 Republicans joined me in introducing the bill. It was endorsed by the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus and passed out of the Energy and Commerce Committee on a similar unanimous, bipartisan vote. At a time when divisions in Congress can seem insurmountable, this bill is an example of what we can accomplish, even in our country's most challenging moments, when we focus on the mission. In this bill, we are responding to the mission to ensure that we never repeat what we went through in the early days of the COVID outbreak. Amidst uncertainty and fear, my office received frantic calls and emails day after day in March and April from essential workers begging for help. As cases of COVID surged, our hospitals and frontline workers simply did not have the protective equipment necessary to keep themselves safe. I heard from a physician in Brighton who compared his job to being a soldier [[Page H4650]] on the front lines wearing a T-shirt and a baseball cap instead of body armor and a helmet. I heard from nurses in Mason who had to share one gown--not per person, but per entire staff. I heard from doctors, nurses, and first responders who were bravely answering the call to serve their country, yet they were battling this deadly disease with improvised face shields and homemade solutions. In my home State of Michigan, we requested millions of medical supplies from the Federal Strategic National Stockpile. Michigan needed millions of masks, gowns, face shields, and ventilators. It quickly became clear that the aid we sought from our national stockpile was delayed and insufficient. The supplies we did receive were woefully inadequate to meet the moment. Some masks arrived so far beyond their expiration date that they were starting to mold. I found myself doing anything and everything I could to secure personal protective equipment for Michigan, calling dozens of mask manufacturers, negotiating with suppliers in China, and fighting for each and every shipment. My staff remembers some sleepless nights on the phone working to get doctors and nurses in Michigan enough supplies for just a few more days' work in the hospital. At the same time, manufacturers across my district stepped up to help fill the void and started retooling their businesses to manufacture personal protective equipment for our frontline workers. In Oxford, Michigan, Vaughn Hockey jumped into action, taking the specialized nylon that they used to make hockey pads and turning it into washable hospital gowns. Magna International, in my town of Holly, Michigan, retooled their car seat fabric assembly line to make masks for workers and suppliers. It was American ingenuity and Michigan grit at its finest. This experience shook me to my core, and I immediately got to work with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to draft legislation to ensure that America is better prepared for the next pandemic or the next phase of COVID. Our bill, the Strengthening America's National Stockpile Act, was the product of our bipartisan collaboration and makes important fixes to our national stockpile for medical supplies so that it is fully stocked, maintained, and ready whenever Michigan and other States across the country need it. {time} 1000 This is even more important as we see the number of COVID cases across the country continue to increase. This bill requires constant upkeep to make sure that the items in the stockpile aren't expired. It infuses transparency into how supplies are distributed from the stockpile, and it helps States create their own stockpiles. Second, it strengthens the stockpile's finances. It makes efficient use of taxpayer dollars and prevents waste by allowing the stockpile to sell excess supplies to other agencies. It also ensures that taxpayers are properly compensated for the use of stockpile products and boosts its funding. Critically, it helps reduce our overall dependence on foreign suppliers by incentivizing production of critical medical supplies here in America. It creates a $500 million pilot program that will allow the stockpile to work directly with American manufacturers to replenish existing supplies, expand our manufacturing capacity, and strengthen these critical supply chains. Over the next few weeks, I will be visiting a bunch of Michigan companies who could directly benefit from this portion of the bill. Here in Congress, we have a responsibility to respond to the way this crisis is shaking our communities; to protect our healthcare workers and support the businesses who are adapting to this once-in-a- generation event. Our communities are stepping up and so should we. Passing this bill to better arm our doctors and nurses against this deadly disease is an important way to do that. I thank my colleagues on both sides of the aisle for passing this legislation with overwhelming, bipartisan support, and I look forward to working together to help keep our fellow Americans safe. ____________________
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