US needs central manufacturing strategy to avoid future supply shortages, senator says

The lack of a federal manufacturing strategy played a key role in the U.S. medical supply chain being unprepared for the COVID-19 pandemic, U.S. Sen. Gary Peters, D-Mich., wrote in an April 28 opinion column published in The Hill. 

Mr. Peters, who chairs the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, said that in 2019, he released the results of an investigation that showed that in the event of a pandemic, the U.S. supply chain wasn't equipped to handle a surge in demand for medical supplies and equipment. 

Mr. Peters proposes three measures the U.S. should take to create a federal manufacturing strategy that he says would improve the country's supply chain and prepare for future crises: 

1. Establish a national institute of manufacturing. This would be modeled after the National Institutes of Health and would house all national manufacturing programs under one roof. The U.S. has more than 50 federal programs across 11 agencies that support manufacturing, but they don't always work in concert with each other, Mr. Peters said. The national institute of manufacturing, housed within the Commerce Department, would boost coordination, reduce overlapping efforts, improve efficiency and strengthen the government's ability to respond to evolving national needs, he wrote.
   
   
2. Revamp manufacturing.gov to be a one-stop shop for all federal manufacturing resources. Mr. Peters said all manufacturers should be able to seamlessly take advantage of federal support to help them grow, innovate and compete globally.
   
   
3. Codify into law the National Manufacturing Advisory Council. The group would be comprise business, labor, economic and academic leaders and report to top leaders in the federal government on how to craft strategy, be nimble and adjust according to changes in the economy. It's critical the private sector plays a pivotal role in crafting manufacturing strategy, Mr. Peters wrote.

"We all need to come together — Republicans and Democrats alike — to seize this moment. We have an opportunity to secure our position as a world leader in advanced manufacturing, set the global standard for the next generation of innovation — and create great jobs for Americans who have manufacturing in their blood. But we need an all-hands-on-deck approach that’s coordinated," Mr. Peters concluded. 

Read the full article here.