Rep. Buddy Carter
Three bipartisan pharmaceutical bills led by U.S. Rep. Rep. Buddy Carter (R-GA) helped inform new actions announced on Monday by the White House to bolster America’s drug supply chains and address prescription drug shortages.
“I’m glad that the White House has paid attention to this bipartisan effort and is working towards building a more resilient domestic pharmaceutical supply chain and stockpiling essential medications on both the national and state levels,” said Rep. Carter, chairman of the Domestic Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Caucus.
During the Nov. 27 inaugural convening of the new White House Council on Supply Chain Resilience, President Joe Biden unveiled more than 30 new actions to strengthen America’s supply chains critical to America’s economic and national security.
The president’s plan pulls from Rep. Carter’s Manufacturing API, Drugs, and Excipients (MADE) in America Act, H.R. 2707; the State Strategic Stockpile Act of 2023, H.R. 3631; and the Essential Medicines Strategic Stockpile Act of 2023, H.R. 405. The White House will use the Defense Production Act to make more essential medicines in America and mitigate drug shortages, establish a White House Council on Supply Chain Resilience, and establish the Global Regulatory Working Group on Drug Shortages, among other actions.
Rep. Carter on April 19 sponsored H.R. 2707, which would mitigate drug shortages and provide incentives for maintaining, expanding, and relocating the manufacturing of active pharmaceutical ingredients, excipients, medical diagnostic devices, pharmaceuticals, and personal protective equipment in the United States, according to the text of the bill. There are 11 original cosponsors of H.R. 2707, including U.S. Reps. Carol Miller (R-WV), Troy Balderson (R-OH), and Darren Soto (D-FL), and the bill is under consideration in the U.S. House Ways and Means Committee.
“As a pharmacist, ensuring that life-saving medications are accessible, available, and affordable has been one of my top priorities in Congress,” said Rep. Carter.
The congressman in May sponsored H.R. 3631 alongside lead original cosponsor U.S. Rep. Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA) to extend the authorization of appropriations for grants for state strategic stockpiles, the bill’s text says. The measure remains under consideration by the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee.
H.R. 405, which Rep. Carter sponsored on Jan. 20 with lead original cosponsor U.S. Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE), would require the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to create a pilot program to test the effectiveness of acquiring, maintaining, managing, and distributing a stockpile of generic drugs at risk of shortage, states the text.
“We have a lot more work to do, including passing my MADE in America Act, but [the White House’s new plan] is a positive step that will bring relief to Americans and our healthcare system,” Rep. Carter said.