Reps. Blunt Rochester and Bucshon introduce bipartisan supply chain-focused legislation

Earlier this week, a supply chain-focused piece of legislation was unanimously passed through the House Committee on Energy and Commerce by a 44-0 vote. The legislation, entitled the “Promoting Resilient Supply Chains Act,” was introduced by Representatives Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE) and Larry Bucshon (R-IN).

The legislation’s key objectives include:

• establishing a supply chain resiliency program within the Department of Commerce (DOC) to map, monitor, and promote U.S. supply chains in critical industries and emerging technologies;
• encouraging private-public partnerships to promote resilient supply chains and respond to supply chain shocks among critical industries and emerging technologies;
• encouraging the development and competitiveness of U.S. productive capacities and manufacturing in the U.S.; and
• directing the Assistant Secretary to develop best practices through the program on how to secure supply chains

Speaking before the House Committee on Energy and Commerce this week, Rep. Blunt Rochester said that this legislation is geared towards finding a bipartisan path forward on supply chains.

“Together, we found a way to create a comprehensive, credible and robust supply chains package that will strengthen both our economy and our national security,” she said. “We've seen the consequence of weakened supply chains from drug shortages before the pandemic to masks and gowns during the pandemic, from lumber and glass shortages, impacting housing affordability and availability to chips and minerals that power our consumer electronics, defense systems, cell phones and cars. Bottom line supply chains touch the lives of every American whether they know it or not. And strengthening those supply chains means making our lives better and products cheaper.”

And she also noted that this legislation will support steady government leadership by assigning the responsibility for supply chain and American manufacturing resilience to an Assistant Secretary in the Department of Commerce.

“The bill will support American innovation and take back global leadership by setting the rules of the road with robust guidelines and best practices that will ensure American businesses are a step ahead of their competitors,” said Blunt Rochester. “Our bill will no longer position our country as passive reactionaries to a supply chain crisis or shock by mandating the creation of a national strategy that elevates supply chain resilience to the forefront of U.S. national policy.”

Rep. Blunt Rochester added that this legislation incorporates all of the key elements of the Supply Chains Act legislation she co-sponsored earlier this year, with Reps. Debbie Dingell (D-Mich.), Robin Kelly (D-Ill.), and Susan Wild (D-Pa.)., which garnered the support of more than 160 organizations.

Rep. Bucshon said in a statement that this bipartisan legislation would pave the way for a more efficient and secure U.S. economy by identifying vulnerabilities and mitigating risk.

“I hope the bipartisan introduction of these pieces of legislation signal Congress’ steadfast commitment to ensuring U.S. economic strength and global competitiveness,” he said.

This is the most recent example of supply chain-focused initiatives on display at a national level. The Biden administration recently  released the White House Council on Supply Chain Resilience, which is comprised of nearly 30 actions focused on strengthening U.S. supply chains.

As previously reported, this effort is focused on boosting supply chains considered critical to the country’s economic and national security while also boosting the economy on various fronts—including: enabling reliable deliveries for businesses; strengthen U.S. agriculture and food systems; and also support good-paying union jobs—and also “support the enduring reliance of America’s critical supply chains.”