Orange County Breeze: Cisneros legislation to overhaul national stockpile, make more critical supplies in America passes House with unanimous, bipartisan support
Washington,
September 23, 2020
Today, Representative Gilbert R. Cisneros, Jr. (CA-39) praised the unanimous, bipartisan House passage of the bipartisan Strengthening America’s Strategic National Stockpile Act. Rep. Cisneros joined his Republican and Democratic House colleagues to introduce this legislative package, which would reduce America’s dependence on foreign sources of critical medical supplies the country needs to fight COVID-19 by making much-needed improvements and updates to America’s Strategic National Stockpile (SNS), and boosting domestic manufacturing of those supplies here in America. “Throughout this pandemic, our frontline workers weren’t getting the PPE they needed, and states had to outbid each other for ventilators and medical equipment. We can’t be in that position again, especially as we’re entering flu season,” said Rep. Cisneros. “I’m grateful the House passed our bipartisan bill to replenish and strengthen the Strategic National Stockpile while boosting domestic manufacturing of critical supplies. This legislation will help ensure we meet the challenges of our current pandemic and are well equipped to deal with future crises.” The Strengthening America’s Strategic National Stockpile Act was introduced on July 15th by Reps. Cisneros, Elissa Slotkin (D-MI-08), Susan Brooks (R-IN-05), Anna Eshoo (D-CA-18), Earl L. Buddy Carter (R-GA-01), Jackie Walorski (R-IN-02), Diana DeGette (D-CO-01), David McKinley (R-WV-01), G.K. Butterfield (D-NC-01), Jeff Van Drew (R-NJ-02), Darren Soto (D-FL-09), Fred Upton (R-MI-06), Tom Malinowski (D-NJ-07), Richard Hudson (R-NC-08), Kim Schrier (D-WA-08), Greg Gianforte (R-MT-At-Large), Joe Neguse (D-CO-02), Michael Burgess (R-TX-26), Debbie Dingell (D-MI-12), Brain Fitzpatrick (R-PA-01), and Ben Ray Lujan (D-NM-03). The Strengthening America’s Strategic National Stockpile Act combines several bipartisan bills previously introduced to spur domestic manufacturing and strengthen the stockpile, a repository of critical supplies and medicines maintained by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to respond to public health emergencies. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the stockpile has been unable to fulfill urgent needs in the states for personal protective equipment, ventilators and other supplies to fight the pandemic, failing to fulfill requests for supplies or providing expired our outdated items. The legislation introduced today will, if enacted:
On May 14th, Rep. Cisneros led a letter with 25 Republican and Democratic colleagues to the Secretary of Health and Human Services and Secretary of Defense urging them to support small businesses producing personal protective equipment (PPE) and replenish the Strategic National Stockpile. Published here. |
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