WASHINGTON, DC – A provision authored by U.S. Senators Gary Peters (D-MI) and Rob Portman (R-OH), Chairman and Ranking Member of Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, to direct the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to conduct research and development into the ways that supply chain vulnerabilities threaten our homeland security has been signed into law as a part of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).
“Recent shortages of essential products such as semiconductor chips and lifesaving medical supplies during the pandemic show why our nation needs to take action to limit our overreliance on foreign sources for these critical supplies. Taking concrete action to tackle this national security threat will also create good-paying American jobs,” said Senator Peters. “I’m proud this critical provision has been signed into law so we can increase production of essentials supplies in our nation and protect our national and economic security.”
“I’m proud that this important legislation to put the best minds at DHS on the job to identify where we have vulnerabilities in our supply chains and develop solutions to strengthen American manufacturing and re-shore jobs in critical sectors has been signed into law as a part of the FY 2022 National Defense Authorization Act,” said Senator Portman. “Between shortages of medical supplies and semiconductors, the COVID-19 pandemic has exposed how offshoring of our manufacturing base has weakened our homeland security and this bipartisan legislation will direct DHS to address it.”
The provision, which is based on the senators’ Domains Critical to Homeland Security Act, would require DHS to conduct an analysis of critical domains – defined in the bill as industries critical to the economic and national security of the United States – to determine whether there is a present or future national security threat in the event their supply chains are disrupted. The bill also requires the DHS Secretary to submit a report to the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs and House Homeland Security Committees detailing the vulnerabilities in critical domain supply chains and actions by the federal government to strengthen them. The report would be updated annually through 2026.
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