First State Times

Following the introduction of the Medical Supply Chain Resiliency Act by U.S. Senators Tom Carper (D-Del.) and Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), business leaders and health care and trade policy experts have applauded the legislation.

The bipartisan Medical Supply Chain Resiliency Act would authorize the President to engage in trade negotiations in order to ensure that critical medical goods and services are delivered safely, swiftly, and efficiently to patients in the United States and around the world.

Here’s what they are saying about the Medical Supply Chain Resiliency Act:

Bettina Tweardy Riveros, ChristianaCare Chief Public Affairs Officer:

“From the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, Sen. Carper has been at the forefront of response efforts working to ensure health systems – like ChristianaCare – and providers across the country had access to the necessary PPE, medical supplies, and pharmaceuticals to treat and care for our patients and communities. As health systems nationwide face financial pressure due to inflation, supply chain and workforce challenges, ChristianaCare thanks Sen. Carper for his leadership and the introduction of this bill to create a collaborative trade framework and strengthen the resiliency of supply chains for life-saving medical products and services.”

Michael Fleming, Delaware BioScience Association President:

“Delaware is fortunate to be home to a robust life science ecosystem that includes a growing leadership position in the production of critical medical supplies and technologies that keep the American people healthy and safe. The continued success of our sector relies on a diverse, resilient supply chain including relationships with key partner nations. We support Senator Carper’s efforts to strengthen and fortify this supply chain by removing barriers to improving these important trade relations with trusted strategic partners.”

Trade Alliance for Health:

“The Trade Alliance for Health, which includes Pfizer, UPS, Gilead, and other health care related companies, applauds Senator Carper (D-DE), Senator Tillis (R-NC), Representative Michelle Steel (R-CA), and Representative Brad Schneider (D-IL) for introducing the Medical Supply Chain Resiliency Act, legislation that will help create strong supply chains for medical goods and services between the United States and key allies and partners around the world.  This is critical to improving medical supply chain resilience, bolstering U.S. national security and public health, and better preparing the United States for the next pandemic… The COVID-19 pandemic illustrated the dire need to collaborate with our allies and trading partners in this area and we strongly encourage Congress to act on this legislation as soon as possible.  This will help ensure that critical medical goods and services are delivered safely, swiftly, and efficiently to patients in America and around the world.”

Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO):

“BIO commends Senator Carper for his legislation to bolster global supply chains by authorizing the President to negotiate trade agreements with countries that have demonstrated a commitment to global health security, rule of law, and transparency – in order to ensure that critical medical goods and services are delivered safely, swiftly, and efficiently to patients in the United States and around the world.  The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the need to create robust supply chains to meet global medical needs.  Senator Carper’s legislation is an important step in that direction.”

Meredith Broadbent, Center for Strategic and International Studies Senior Advisor:

“While ‘securing medical supply chains’ has been a goal of government officials since the start of the pandemic, it is time to implement policies to make the United States less vulnerable to a limited number of foreign suppliers for certain key medical products. The next step, as laid out in this legislation, is to identify several Trusted Trade Partners who seek to ramp up diversified production of key medical products. USTR, whose statutory mission is to ‘advance U.S. economic interests’ by developing international trade and investment policy, and conducting trade negotiations should work to strike medical supply chain agreements with friends and allied nations who demonstrate a willingness to improve their investment regimes in terms of good regulatory practices, rule of law, strong intellectual property protection, anti-corruption measures, and lower import tariffs—all the stuff of mutually beneficial trade expanding agreements.”

National Association of Manufacturers:

“The NAM appreciates the work of Senator Carper and Senator Tillis on trade. Manufacturers support approaches that will open market access, increase supply chain diversification through more trade with friends and allies, reduce regulatory hurdles and strengthen IP protections.”

Tiffany Smith, National Foreign Trade Council Vice President for Global Trade Policy:

“The Medical Supply Chain Resiliency Act is an excellent example of the creative approaches needed to reinforce and ensure the security of supply chains for medical goods and services for the United States and key allies and partners around the world.

“By charging the United States Trade Representative with negotiating new agreements with trusted trade partners, this legislation cements the role of trade negotiations at the heart of improving medical supply chain security and supporting U.S. innovation and job creation.

“NFTC applauds Senators Carper and Tillis and Representatives Steel and Schneider for their vision and urges swift passage of this legislation so that the United States and its Trusted Partners can better prepare to meet the public health demands of our populations and rise to meet the challenges of the next global health emergency.”

Michael J. Alkire, Premier, Inc. President and CEO:

“Premier applauds Senators Tom Carper (D-DE) and Thom Tillis (R-NC) for their bipartisan leadership to heed the lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic and help strengthen our nation’s healthcare supply chain. A more sustainable, resilient, and secure healthcare supply chain requires greater diversification, including investment in domestic manufacturing coupled with strategic trade relationships to encourage nearshoring. The Medical Supply Chain Resiliency Act is an essential piece of legislation that would permit the establishment of trusted trade partners to diversify sourcing for medical devices and pharmaceuticals and enable timely access to the vital supplies providers need to care for patients during a public health crisis or national security threat.”

Dave Pacitti, Siemens Healthineers President and Head of the Americas:

“Siemens Healthineers supports Senator Carper’s Medical Supply Chain Resiliency Act and is confident that this framework will strengthen health care supply chains in the US by effectively opening doors to trusted traders across the globe. Supply chain resilience is a foundational pillar on which uninterrupted, quality patient care is built.”

John Murphy, U.S. Chamber of Commerce Senior Vice President for International Policy:

 “The Chamber strongly supports the Medical Supply Chain Resilience Act, which will strengthen supply chains for medical goods and services while bolstering manufacturing in the U.S. and among our close allies and partners. Enhancing the resilience of medical supply chains is important to both our public health and our national security.

“The bill would direct the U.S. Trade Representative to negotiate trade agreements with trusted allies to eliminate tariffs and other trade barriers that weaken the U.S. medical goods manufacturing base and that of our allies. These agreements would also support intellectual property protection, regulatory cooperation, and collaboration on public and private R&D efforts. Only close allies and partners would qualify for such agreements. Close consultation with the legislative branch would be essential, and Congress would retain a right to disapprove any agreements.

“This is practical legislation that, if enacted, will apply lessons learned in the Covid-19 pandemic to strengthen America’s health preparedness. The Chamber urges Congress to pass it into law.”

Original source can be found here.