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Mr. JAMES. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of my bill, H.R. 2444, the Promoting Resilient Supply Chains Act of 2025.
I especially thank my chairman, friend, and mentor, the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Bilirakis), for his leadership and support. I also thank my good friend, the gentlewoman from Michigan (Mrs. Dingell), who has been a mentor to me on the ways of D.C. and bipartisanship. The gentlewoman has been a family friend for such a long time.
I also have the pleasure of sharing the opportunity on this bill with Erin Houchin, my classmate; Robin Kelly; and Pat Ryan, my West Point classmate. This is an example of Congress coming together, reaching across the aisle, and working in the best interests of the American people. There are so many more instances of this type of bipartisanship than what may be seen on the news. Yet, Mr. Speaker, this is exactly how Congress is supposed to work, and I am very proud of my bill.
No matter how you slice it and no matter what industry, there is not a single American who isn't impacted by supply chains. In Michigan's 10th Congressional District, supply chains are the equivalent of rocket fuel, providing the firepower for the number one manufacturing district in the entire country to power Michigan's local and State economy.
Having strong, reliable supply chains is essential to ensuring that every American can get the food, fuel, medication, and every other consumer good that they desire.
This bipartisan bill is about bringing jobs back home and lowering costs for hardworking families. In today's world, supply chains are no longer just about cheaper prices at Meijer or Wal-Mart, they are vital to America's national security interests, as well.
Mr. Speaker, we must do everything in our power to ensure that our Nation's supply chain is resilient, shock resistant, and protected from nefarious foreign adversaries; this includes the Chinese Communist Party. The threat from China is real, and the time to act is now.
During COVID, we witnessed the risks of depending on a hostile supply chain with shortages in medicine, PPE, ventilators, and critical healthcare supplies when they forced us to rely on our adversaries for these lifesaving resources.
I will say that again. During a pandemic caused by a Chinese-made virus, the American people were forced to depend on the CCP for lifesaving supplies. That will never happen again.
It is ludicrous and absurd, a clear wake-up call that we would be foolish not to heed. To achieve a strong, resilient supply chain, we must have a coordinated, whole-of-government approach that decreases our dependence on adversaries and leverages American ingenuity. It is crucial for our economic and national security.
Promoting resilient supply chains is a step in the right direction. This legislation specifically will create a supply chain resiliency program to identify and address gaps in critical industries and emerging technologies, establish an early warning system to predict and prevent supply chain disruption, and reduce dependence on adversarial nations by incentivizing domestic manufacturing.
Resilient global supply chains are the cornerstone of American innovation and leadership, and we must take clear and decisive action in the global competition.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this legislation, H.R. 2444, the Promoting Resilient Supply Chains Act of 2025.
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