AAM’s Blueprint for Enhancing the Security of the U.S. Pharmaceutical Supply Chain and documents like it provide lawmakers with the ingredients for achieving a legislative goal.
Since we published this reliable resource at the end of April, senators, representatives and their staff have sought out the expertise of AAM staff regarding supply issues affecting our manufacturers both domestically and internationally. Across the political spectrum, protecting the safety and integrity of the supply chain is a top priority. Indeed, many of the bills emerging have bipartisan sponsorship, including one from Marco Rubio (R) and Elizabeth Warren (D) and another from Marsha Blackburn (R) and Robert Menendez (D). In a time of bitter, divisive rhetoric, leaders from both sides of the aisle have come together to safeguard the health of U.S. patients.
With concerns about the pharmaceutical supply chain on the rise due to real and perceived issues related to the coronavirus pandemic, a wide variety of opinions have surfaced. The Trump administration has the biggest megaphone, but it is not alone. Pundits and columnists are weighing in on medical issues as much as, or more than, they did during the run-up to the Affordable Care Act.
Congressional staff tasked with drafting legislation need something to go on. They might know a new policy’s recommended destination, but they need instructions for how to get there. They need realistic solutions rooted in data and a thorough understanding of a complex market, and it is reassuring to know that most of the two dozen or so draft bills incorporate elements of the blueprint—including tax incentives to shore up domestic manufacturing capacity.
AAM’s blueprint is just the beginning. As the drafts blend ingredients from our cupboard and competing proposals advance through committee, AAM’s team will read each one carefully, sidestep the rhetoric and explore the ramifications, working in collaboration with policymakers to ensure that the voice of the generic industry is heard and the health of U.S. patients is protected.
By Katherine Michelle Raab
Vice President, Federal Government Affairs