WASHINGTON, D.C. – As first reported by the Daily Caller, Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-WI), alongside Reps. Elise Stefanik (R-NY), Liz Cheney (R-WY), Ted Budd (R-NC), Vicky Hartzler (R-MO), and Bill Posey (R-TN), today introduced the Protecting our Pharmaceutical Supply Chain from China Act, which would end U.S. dependence on China for pharmaceutical manufacturing.

“The Chinese Communist Party has threatened to withhold lifesaving drugs from the U.S. once and we’d be crazy to think they won’t attempt to do so again,” said Rep. Gallagher. “Congress needs an aggressive plan to protect our critical pharmaceutical supply chains and end our reliance on China. This is a national security imperative and to many Americans, a matter of life and death.”
“The United States must end our reliance on China for lifesaving drugs and critical medical equipment,” Stefanik said. “We have become far too dependent on China’s supply chain, and their malign regime represents too great a threat to our national security for us to be at their mercy. I am proud to sponsor this legislation to equip our domestic pharmaceutical and medical manufacturers to be able to efficiently produce these items here in the United States. Through this effort, Americans can have better peace of mind regarding who they rely on for their own personal health needs,” said Conference Chair Elise Stefanik.
“Eighty percent of the drugs that Americans depend on come from overseas,” said Rep. Bill Posey. “China, whose pharmaceuticals have been subject to numerous recalls, is the largest manufacturer. As a result of this reliance, the U.S. has not produced basic medicines like in the case of penicillin since 2004.”
Specifically, the bill will:
  • Track active pharmaceutical ingredients through an FDA registry.
  • Prohibit pharmaceutical purchases from China or products with active pharmaceutical ingredients created in China*.
  • Create transparency in the supply chain by instituting a country-of-origin label of all imported drugs.
  • Provide economic incentives for manufacturing drugs and medical equipment in the United States.
Senator Tom Cotton (R-AR) introduced companion legislation in the U.S. Senate.
Click here for a one-pager on the bill. Click here for bill text.
* This requirement will be phased in over two years. The FDA may issue waivers if the active pharmaceutical ingredients are only available in China, however, no waivers may be issued after 2026.
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