Inspired by NYC's Garment Industry, Maloney Introduces Made in America Pandemic Preparedness Act

Press Release

Congresswoman Carolyn B. Maloney (D-NY), Chairwoman of the Committee on Oversight and Reform, on Friday introduced H.R. 4470, the Made in America Pandemic Preparedness Act, which would require government purchases of American-made PPE and create new tax credits to help manufacturers build up their domestic supply chains. The bill will be marked up and voted on during Tuesday's Committee on Oversight and Reform business meeting.

"As we continue to wrestle with the toll of the pandemic and consider the future we want to build, it is essential that we assess our national vulnerabilities and turn them into national strengths," said Congresswoman Maloney. "Top among these vulnerabilities are our supply chains. At the beginning of the pandemic, we witnessed the tragic failure of our supply chains that led to catastrophic shortages of medical supplies and personal protective equipment, or PPE, when we needed it the most. But out of this failure, came ingenuity -- when New York City's frontline workers were forced to wear trash bags as gowns, our Garment District came to the rescue to produce PPE. Now, as we work to build back better, we need to reinvest in the American businesses that stepped in to help and who hold the promise of a stronger, more resilient response in the face of future health emergencies. Too many lives have been unnecessarily lost because broken global supply chains left our essential workers without the equipment they needed. The Made in America Pandemic Preparedness Act will help prevent this from ever happening again."

Fashion for the Frontlines is a group of New York City designers, manufacturers, and industry leaders that grew out of a roundtable Congresswoman Maloney initially convened to support and examine the city's garment industry and to understand the nexus between technology and fashion. At the height of the pandemic in March and April of 2020, this group quickly transformed their manufacturing capabilities to aid the city at that critical moment. Fashion for the Frontlines mobilized Garment District factories - that would have otherwise been forced to close - to manufacture and distribute masks and gowns to frontline medical professionals throughout New York City.

Background

H.R. 4470, the Made in America Pandemic Preparedness Act

Incentivizes the development and stabilization of the domestic supply chains necessary to protect the country from life-threatening shortages of personal protective equipment (PPE) during pandemics or other public health emergencies.
Requires that PPE procured for the Strategic National Stockpile be produced in America when domestic manufacturers step up to help, and requires regular reports of domestic supply shortages to prepare for the next pandemic.
Creates a tax credit for manufacturers to help cover the costs of developing domestic supply chains, including manufacturing technology upgrades and workforce training.

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