U.S. Senator Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.), along with Senators Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, and Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), have reintroduced the bipartisan Promoting Resilient Supply Chains Act. The legislation would empower the Department of Commerce to collaborate with the private sector and government partners to strengthen U.S. supply chains for critical industries and emerging technologies. By proactively identifying and addressing potential disruptions, the bill aims to enhance manufacturing capacity, create jobs, and lower costs for American consumers.
“I am so proud to be continuing an effort I led in the House by re-announcing the Promoting Resilient Supply Chains Act,” said Sen. Blunt Rochester. “Americans are feeling the high costs of inflation and goods – and to help alleviate that burden and lower costs we need to fix the gaps in our supply chains. Addressing these shortages and disruptions will not only help the average American, but it has the opportunity to create good-paying jobs, strengthen our economy, and enhance our national security. Going forward, I will continue conversations with my colleagues in Congress ensure that this vital piece of legislation makes it into law.”
Geopolitical conflicts, natural disasters, and the pandemic have exposed the vulnerabilities of global supply chains, leading to significant delays and shortages. These disruptions have affected everything from critical medical supplies to everyday consumer goods, driving up costs. The U.S. remains heavily dependent on a few key countries for essential supply chain segments, including manufacturing components, critical minerals, and active pharmaceutical ingredients—creating a major risk of disruption. Additionally, most U.S. companies lack full visibility into their supply chains, with estimates indicating that over 90 percent do not have complete transparency across their entire network.
Below is the bill in part:
S.257 The Bipartisan Promoting Resilient Supply Chains Act:
- Charges the Department of Commerce’s Assistant Secretary for Industry and Analysis with promoting the stability and resilience of critical supply chains.
- Creates a new government-wide “Supply Chain Resilience Working Group,” led by the Assistant Secretary, to prepare for and respond to supply chain shocks by mapping, monitoring and modeling U.S. supply chains for critical industries and emerging technologies in consultation with the private sector. The Group will identify any gaps or vulnerabilities for critical goods, including any gaps in manufacturing, warehousing, transportation and distribution.
- Requires the Assistant Secretary to evaluate the impact supply chain shocks could have on market stability and the current state of the U.S. manufacturing workforce and its needs. The initiative will identify opportunities to build manufacturing capacity in critical industries and emerging technology, and to create high-quality American jobs.
- Requires ongoing reporting to inform Congress and the public, including a “National Strategy and Review” on critical supply chain resiliency and U.S. manufacturing” that identifies critical and emerging technologies, industries and supply chains.
