Buchanan: U.S. "Dangerously Reliant" on China

As the United States maintains a hard-line approach when it comes to China regarding the spread of the Coronavirus, more legislation continues to be introduced regarding the country distancing itself and holding China accountable for spreading misinformation and mishandling the COVID-19 outbreak.

New legislation introduced by Florida Rep. Vern Buchanan (R) calls for the United States to rebuild drug manufacturing in the United States, which comes after China threatened to cut off life-saving medications to Americans.

In a statement, the Florida lawmaker commented that “every day we are learning more about China’s malicious intentions, from lying about the origins of the coronavirus to threatening to cut off drug supplies to American citizens during a pandemic.” Moreover, Buchanan argued that “it’s clear we must take immediate steps to make our country more independent when it comes to producing life-saving medicines.”

He expressed that, as the United States continues to “confront the coronavirus, it has become clear how dangerously reliant we are on China and the global supply chain for pharmaceutical products.”

It is estimated that eighty percent of the raw ingredients that are used to manufacture many life-saving medications and antibiotics are produced overseas, and they are primarily produced in China.

Because of this, Buchanan warns that “we must act swiftly to ensure that American is never again forced to rely on other countries for critical drug components and life-saving drugs.”

Chinese pharmaceutical companies are estimated to supply between 80% and 90% of U.S. antibiotics.

Florida Rep. Buchanan’s bill, called the Securing America’s Medicine Cabinet Act, will create a federal office that will solely be responsible for stockpiling adequate supplies of critical medicines while encouraging companies to manufacture those drugs.

Dating back to the 1990s, U.S. companies have increasingly imported pharmaceutical products from countries overseas because the ingredients are both cheaper and subject to fewer regulations.