Lawmakers say manufacturers are in better position to handle future pandemics

Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle Thursday said lessons learned from COVID-19, particularly on the manufacturing front, will help the U.S. in the event of another pandemic.

Speaking at The Hill’s “COVID-19 Vaccine and the New Era of Manufacturing” event, Rep. Dan Kildee (D-Mich.) said the country had become complacent with its production levels before the coronavirus first took hold last spring.

“The hope is that we’ve learned that we have to have a much greater degree of preparedness to quickly turn our manufacturing capabilities to serve our needs and not put ourselves, and this is where the supply chain issues come into play, not put ourselves where the material is not available to us,” Kildee, who is chief deputy whip of the House and a member of the Ways and Means Committee, told The Hill’s Steve Clemons and Julia Manchester.

Rep. Haley Stevens (D-Mich.), who also spoke at the event sponsored by the National Association of Manufacturers, said a vast network of partnerships between the federal government and businesses helped the U.S. overcome the initial supply chain disruptions that were caused when many businesses temporarily shut down last year.

Stevens sponsored the American Manufacturing Leadership Act (AMLA), which increased federal investment in advanced manufacturing. The bill was included in the National Defense Authorization Act in 2019, signed into law before the pandemic hit the U.S.

“I remain really enthusiastic about what we got done with the American Manufacturing Leadership Act and what we’re continuing to build off of that in this present time,” Stevens said.

.@RepHaleyStevens on avoiding supply chain disruptions in future public health emergencies: “We’re overcoming the supply chain disruption…we’re utilizing and leveraging a vast network of public-private partnerships” #TheHillVaccine https://t.co/2N92khNfna pic.twitter.com/xLPayYK7Rg

— The Hill Events (@TheHillEvents) March 25, 2021

Rep. Bill Foster (D-Ill.), a co-sponsor of the AMLA, said although the coronavirus pandemic appears to have been naturally occurring, the country and the world need to prepare for a future one that is part of biological warfare. He said policymakers need to make decisions about how to spread money wisely to be ready if a new pathogen appears.

“Making sure that that’s driven by the best expert advice is really, I think, one of the things that Congress has to keep our eyes on to make sure that when you do all the wargaming of the natural or artificial pathogens that can be coming at us, that we are appropriately prepared,” Foster said.

.@RepBillFoster on preparing for future public health crises: “we have to spend money on platforms that can be rapidly adapted to many different pathogens” #TheHillVaccine https://t.co/2N92khNfna pic.twitter.com/MPT9OvCQPF

— The Hill Events (@TheHillEvents) March 25, 2021

On Friday, CNN aired an interview in which former Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Robert Redfield said he suspected the coronavirus originated in a lab in China. There is no hard evidence that the virus escaped from a lab, and Redfield noted that his comments are “my opinion.”

Rep. Jackie Walorski (R-Ind.), a member of the House Ways and Means Committee who’s also part of the House manufacturing caucus, said at Thursday’s event that the private sector leaders are the best positioned to respond to challenges like the coronavirus pandemic because they know the needs of their region and communities.

“Let’s let the manufacturers do what they do best,” Walorski said. “Let’s let the hospitals and all of those peripheral shareholders that have been at the table decide what else needs to happen when and where.”

.@RepWalorski on removing government regulation from manufacturing the COVID-19 vaccine: “If our government comes in with a bureaucratic response to this…that’s going to be very difficult for any manufacturer to deal with” #TheHillVaccine https://t.co/2N92khNfna pic.twitter.com/HYpME36OhE

— The Hill Events (@TheHillEvents) March 25, 2021

In terms of persuading the public to take one of the COVID-19 vaccines, Rep. Brad Wenstrup (R-Ohio), a member of the House Ways and Means Committee and part of the GOP Doctors Caucus, said he has found that he earns more trust from Americans in his role as a doctor than as a congressman. He said when he has been able to speak directly to patients about how the vaccines were tested and what their efficacy rates mean, he is more effective at convincing them to get vaccinated.

“I can always tell when I’m in uniform, people trust me,” he said. “When I’m in my white coat, people trust me. My congressional pin doesn’t mean a whole lot to them as far as trust. And I get that.”

.@RepBradWenstrup encourages Americans to speak with medical professionals to reduce vaccine hesitancy: “talk to your doctors about the risks and the benefits of the vaccines, and what’s best for you” #TheHillVaccine https://t.co/2N92khNfna pic.twitter.com/6ixtgb1zah

— The Hill Events (@TheHillEvents) March 25, 2021