Congress Pushes for a Government-Wide Supply Chain Monitoring System

A bipartisan supply chain-focused piece of legislation introduced by the Senate this week takes the approach to create what it calls a government-wide approach to monitoring, tracking, and strengthening the nation's supply chains, as well as help to anticipate and address future supply chain disruptions before they occur, while also identify opportunities to grow both U.S. manufacturing capacity and jobs and lower costs for consumers.

The bill, entitled the “Promoting Resilient Supply Chains Act,” was introduced by U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Chair of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, and U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), a senior member of the Committee. This bill was also introduced in the House (H.R. 6571) by Reps. Larry Bucshon (R-Ind.) and Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.) and passed last week by a 44-0 unanimous vote.

“Strengthening supply chains is essential to ensuring that groceries, fuel, household products, and every other consumer product is accessible and affordable,” said Senator Blackburn in a statement. “To achieve a strong, resilient, supply chain, we must have a coordinated, national strategy that decreases dependence on our adversaries, like Communist China, and leverages American ingenuity. By establishing a supply chain resiliency program at the Department of Commerce, the U.S. government can better coordinate with private sector partners, identify risks, and increase our competitiveness. The Promoting Resilient Supply Chains Act leverages both quantum computing and artificial intelligence to predict and mitigate supply chain shocks, ensuring that technology is at the forefront of our national supply chain strategy.”

Cantwell added that one supply chain shock can disrupt the entire system, driving shortages and raising costs.

“Our legislation will get the government, businesses, and manufacturers working together to identify gaps and build capacity to prevent supply chain disruptions before they happen,” she said. “It will strengthen American manufacturing jobs, keep our store shelves stocked, and lower costs for American families.”

Key components of the Bipartisan Promoting Resilient Supply Chains Act include:

Charging the Department of Commerce with leading a new government-wide Supply Chain Resiliency and Crisis Response program to map, monitor and model U.S. supply chains in critical industries and emerging technologies. The program will monitor demands and find any gaps or vulnerabilities for critical goods, including any gaps in manufacturing, warehousing, transportation and distribution;
Creating an early warning supply chain disruption system at the Department of Commerce that uses artificial intelligence and quantum hybrid computing to identify potential supply chain shocks before they occur. This early warning mechanism would improve the federal government’s response to find alternative sources and take proactive steps with the private sector to mitigate before supply chain shocks have major negative impacts on the U.S. economy and consumers;
Evaluating the capacity of domestic manufacturers as sources of critical goods, equipment or technology, including emerging technology. It will assess the U.S. manufacturing workforce and identify needs. The program will develop opportunities to build capacity in critical industries and emerging technology and to create high-quality American jobs;
Working with the private sector to develop best practices to promote secure and resilient supply chains for American producers and help improve their supply chain resiliency;
Creating a coordination group with other Federal agencies, industry and civil society organizations, academia, state and local governments and key international allies to work with the new program to develop crucial supply chain resiliency policies and recommendations; and
Conducting a capability assessment to inform the Executive Branch and Congress on the program and the current ability to address supply chains and describe shortfalls for future action

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