Sens. Tom Carper (D-Del) and Thom Tillis (R-NC) introduced legislation Thursday authorizing the President to engage in trade negotiations in order to ensure that there are secure supply chains for critical medical goods and services.
The President would be able to negotiate with a group of “trusted trading partners,” countries with a demonstrated commitment to global health security, rule of law and transparency.
The legislation is aimed at addressing the major supply chain challenges experienced during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, the senators said.
“The pandemic wreaked havoc on our communities and caused our medical supply chains to break down during the worst possible time. We must prevent these same horrible losses from happening again by working together to fix our broken supply chains and better prepare for future public health emergencies,” Sen. Carper said.
“The bipartisan legislation will help mitigate trade challenges by authorizing the President to work more closely with our global partners and take action to ensure that health care providers and patients can access life-saving medical products when they need them the most.
Sen. Carper's [statement]
The full bill text is available here.
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