Crow, Kinzinger Lead Bipartisan Bill to Strengthen U.S. National Security & Manufacturing

WASHINGTON – Today, Reps. Jason Crow (D-CO) and Adam Kinzinger (R-IL) introduced the Manufacturing Abilities Determine Economies (MADE) in the Americas Act. This bipartisan legislation would deploy a comprehensive strategy to address serious national security concerns related to the supply chains of certain products and materials, which have been placed under a spotlight during the COVID-19 pandemic. The bill would provide incentives for American companies operating in countries with concentrated supply chains to move their manufacturing to the United States or other countries in the Western Hemisphere.

Additionally, the legislation would establish a Manufacturing Security and Resilience Council to oversee national policy and administer a $25 billion grant program to incentivize flexible and convertible manufacturing in the United States. Lastly, the MADE in the Americas Act would prioritize and expedite the establishment of free trade agreements between the U.S. and other markets in the Western Hemisphere. By strengthening supply chains, lowering market distribution risks, and fostering trade between regional democracies, the U.S. could secure the global economy for our children and grandchildren for decades to come.

"The economic disruption caused by COVID-19 demonstrated the problems with our reliance on overseas manufacturing," said Congressman Crow. "The MADE in the Americas Act is common-sense, bipartisan legislation that would encourage American companies operating abroad to move their manufacturing to the US. Ensuring our supply chains are brought back to the U.S. will create millions of jobs, restore our middle class, and help ensure our national security. I'm grateful to Rep. Kinzinger for his leadership and look forward to working with him on this legislation."

"As the United States begins to recover from the worst pandemic of our lifetime, we must take ambitious steps to strengthen the supply chains that serve our national interest. By incentivizing American companies to return their manufacturing to the U.S., we will not only bolster our national security, but support good paying American jobs," said Congressman Kinzinger. "Given the complexity of market forces, we are likely unable to bring all these manufacturing operations to the U.S., which is why this legislation would incentivize moving operations to our allies in the Western Hemisphere as a secondary priority. It is my hope that these incentives would also help address the root causes of irregular immigration. I'm proud to introduce this legislation, and want to thank Rep. Crow for his willingness to work in a bipartisan fashion to strengthen this bill."

As the spread of COVID-19 began accelerating, the United States quickly came to understand just how debilitating some of our overlooked or unaddressed supply chain vulnerabilities had become. As a result of the consolidation of vital manufacturing sectors, the People's Republic of China was able to threaten to withhold certain goods from the U.S., such as lifesaving personal protective equipment (PPE), active pharmaceutical ingredients, and other critical equipment. The MADE in the Americas Act is designed to address these grave national security issues posed by countries of concern.

The full text of H.R. 3309, the MADE in the Americas Act, can be found online here.

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