WASHINGTON, DC – Yesterday, U.S. Senators Rob Portman (R-OH) and Gary Peters (D-MI), Ranking Member and Chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, introduced the bipartisan Domains Critical to Homeland Security Act to direct the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to conduct research and development into the ways that supply chain vulnerabilities threaten our homeland security. Congressmen John Katko (R-NY) and Bennie Thompson (D-MS) have introduced this legislation in the House of Representatives.
“Between shortages of medical supplies and semiconductors, the past year and a half has exposed how offshoring of our manufacturing base has weakened our homeland security,” said Senator Portman. “This bipartisan legislation puts the best and brightest minds at DHS on the job to identify where we have vulnerabilities in our supply chains and develop solutions to strengthen American manufacturing and re-shore jobs in critical sectors and I urge my colleagues to join in supporting this much needed legislation.”
“Our overreliance on foreign manufacturers poses serious national security and economic risks, as we saw most recently with the shortage of semiconductor chips that hurt autoworkers and manufacturers across Michigan, as well as shortages of critical medical supplies highlighted by the pandemic,” said Senator Peters. “This commonsense legislation will help federal agencies and Congress support increased domestic production of critical supplies, create good-paying American jobs, and protect our national security.”
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