I 
118TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 4279 
To establish the National Commission on Critical Supply Chains, and for 
other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JUNE 22, 2023 
Ms. BROWN (for herself, Mr. POSEY, Ms. NORTON, Ms. MANNING, and Mr. 
CASE) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee 
on Energy and Commerce 
A BILL 
To establish the National Commission on Critical Supply 
Chains, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Critical Supply Chains 
Commission Act’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS; SENSE OF CONGRESS. 
(a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds the following: 
(1) Many Americans were shocked to find that 
the United States was unable to find or produce 
enough face masks, ventilators, hand sanitizer, test-
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ing kits, hospital beds, sedatives, and other medical 
necessities in response to the COVID–19 crisis due 
to limitations in the manufacturing supply chain and 
our dependence on foreign suppliers. 
(2) Shortages of medical supplies and equip-
ment are just one example of the risks we face due 
to the United States reliance on other countries for 
making many of our critical products. The United 
States also relies on other countries for— 
(A) technologies involved with renewable 
energies and car battery manufacturing; 
(B) rare earth materials that are essential 
to many high-technology products, including cell 
phones, satellites, and computers; 
(C) fabricating the most precise integrated 
circuits and microchips that are needed for 
complex electronics used in weapon systems, 
space systems, automobiles, and a variety of 
consumer products; 
(D) production of advanced machine tools 
and production equipment that United States 
factories need to manufacture their products; 
(E) delivery of precision scientific equip-
ment needed to produce breakthroughs in nano-
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technology, medicine, and future batteries for 
electric vehicles; 
(F) manufacturing of clothing and other 
textiles; 
(G) production and distribution of food 
and agricultural goods; 
(H) other critical products where substan-
tial harm would come to United States eco-
nomic security, national defense, health and 
wellness, or way of life if the supply chains were 
compromised or no longer available; and 
(I) pharmaceuticals (including necessary 
components of such pharmaceuticals). 
(3) The American supply chain is the founda-
tion of our Nation’s economic competitiveness and is 
the delivery system that moves products to con-
sumers in every State across the Nation. 
(4) While United States manufacturers and do-
mestic suppliers have substantial resources, some do-
mestic capabilities and expertise have eroded due to 
reliance on the global supply chain. 
(5) Dependable and high-quality suppliers are 
crucial assets to any manufacturing company since 
manufacturers are relied upon to get the right prod-
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ucts to the right place at the right time to be most 
successful. 
(6) A secure and stable American supply chain 
is a necessary component of a prosperous manufac-
turing sector that contributes two trillion dollars an-
nually to the United States economy. 
(7) United States manufacturers are a substan-
tial source of high-quality employment in the United 
States, at roughly nine percent of the workforce. 
(8) United States manufacturers are a substan-
tial driver of innovation, responsible for more than 
two-thirds of private sector research and develop-
ment and receiving more than 90 percent of new 
patents. 
(9) United States manufacturers are essential 
to ensuring our national defense and homeland secu-
rity, as they provide the tools, equipment, systems, 
and protective gear for our military and first re-
sponders. 
(10) Manufacturers must consider supply chain 
risks and potential disruptions in their business deci-
sions, though many times supplier selection is driven 
by fixed production costs and other primary factors. 
(11) A more robust and resilient American sup-
ply chain is integral to the success and growth of the 
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United States economy and to businesses across 
every State, and improvements in the supply chain 
will drive affordability, sustainability, and avail-
ability of products for the Nation. 
(b) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Con-
gress that— 
(1) such a national commission on critical sup-
ply chains will provide expert knowledge, guidance, 
and recommendations to Congress on the complex 
and strategically important issues related to bol-
stering American supply chains, which will help Con-
gress find common ground to advance supply chain 
policies and approaches that benefit our Nation both 
today and far into the future; 
(2) such a commission will provide rec-
ommendations to fix the shortcomings exposed in 
our existing national manufacturing strategy, so 
that we are prepared for the next crisis—whether it 
is due to a pandemic, a war, natural disaster, or 
something else—and that these strategic directions 
will catalyze a much-needed update to our national 
manufacturing strategy for the purpose of revital-
izing the United States manufacturing sector and in-
creasing our economic growth; 
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(3) such a commission will establish the basis 
for strengthening the security of, and adding resil-
iency to, an eroded American supply chain system, 
so that United States economic security, national de-
fense, health and wellness, and way of life are not 
harmed when events disrupt the supply of critical in-
gredients, components, or products from a specific 
source or region; 
(4) such a commission will trigger new domestic 
manufacturing jobs as a result of the growth and in-
creased robustness in the domestic supply chain and 
the manufacturing sector, and such domestic 
sourcing will also improve the security of intellectual 
property, reduce adverse environmental impacts and 
transportation costs due to fewer parts traveling 
overseas, and encourage economic clusters for sup-
porting operations to be located near manufacturing 
facilities; and 
(5) such a commission will improve the Nation’s 
national defense and homeland security by reducing 
vulnerabilities and risks due to excessive reliance on 
foreign sources of critical materials or components. 
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