U.S. Rep. Elissa Slotkin’s Strengthening America’s Strategic National Stockpile Act is set to become law after it passed the House of Representatives as part of the annual federal budget. Slotkin’s bill would reduce America’s dependence on foreign sources of critical medical supplies the country needs to fight COVID-19 and any future health crises by making much-needed improvements and updates to America’s Strategic National Stockpile (SNS), and boosting domestic manufacturing of those supplies here in America.
Slotkin also secured more than $24.5 million for 15 community projects across Michigan’s 8th District. The funds will go towards initiatives including expanding EMS services in Ingham and Livingston Counties, as well as new training equipment for the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office, among others.
Slotkin’s bill to revamp the national stockpile was co-sponsored by nine Republicans and seven Democrats and passed in the House last year and was introduced in the Senate this summer. The package of legislation would make long overdue changes to the SNS including:
• Improving maintenance of the stockpile to ensure stockpile items are in good working order and ready to use if and when a crisis hits;
• Increasing manufacturing of critical supplies in America to diversify sources of personal protective equipment and partner with industry to replenish existing stocks;
• Providing more federal resources to states to expand or maintain their own strategic stockpiles; and
• Bringing transparency to stockpile allocations by requiring a report to Congress on all requests for stockpile supplies during the pandemic and the response to each request.
“In the early days of the pandemic when cases of COVID-19 were surging, Michigan and other states called on the Strategic National Stockpile for urgently needed masks, gloves and other protective gear – but what we got was nowhere close to what we needed,” Slotkin said. “We can never again let our country be dependent on foreign suppliers like China for the equipment we need when crises like a pandemic strike.”
Slotkin said this legislation addresses the painful lessons of the past two years by boosting domestic production of critical medical supplies; reducing our dependence on foreign manufacturers; giving our frontline workers the protection they need for future crises, and improving maintenance and oversight of our stockpile.
“Getting this critical, bipartisan legislation over the finish line has been a years-long effort,” Slotkin said, “and I’m thrilled that it will soon finally be signed into law.”
Slotkin first introduced the legislation last Congress after weeks of working with district health care providers to find sources for those desperately needed medical supplies as cases surged in the spring. The bill grew from provisions originally introduced as part of Slotkin’s Made in America Medical Supply Chain Initiative.
The local initiatives in Livingston County that Slotkin advocated for that will receive federal funding include:
• The Green Oak Charter Township Fire Department for a new aerial ladder truck
• The City of Howell for reconstruction and rehabilitation of the Howell Depot Lot
• The Huron-Clinton Metropolitan Authority for Livingston County Regional Trail Connections
• Livingston County Emergency Management Services for power loading ambulance equipment
