Since the end of the Cold War, America has spread its supply-chain across the globe. At the time, many in the elite spheres of Washington and corporate America saw this as a great step towards a more free and interconnected world. They assumed that opening our markets up to China would lead them closer to democracy and to a more peaceful outlook on the world. They were wrong. China used this access to infiltrate our economy, copy our tech, and take control of our medical resources.
While many profited off of cheap labor and access to global capital, America’s national security suffered. Drug manufacturing and industries vital to American security were outsourced to a hostile power. Now, as coronavirus drives a wedge in global commerce, we are left without the ability to manufacture vital medical supplies such as ventilators, protective gear, and pharmaceutical ingredients in our own country.
Luckily, we are now fighting back. Sen. Steve Daines has been leading the fight to break us off from China and bring our vital manufacturing industries home. He has put forward two bills with Sen. Tom Cotton to this end, and has urged the president to use executive power to do the same. I hope you will join me in supporting Sen. Daines and his fight to hold China accountable.