‘Make PPE in America’ advances

An industry group called the Coalition for a Prosperous America applauded the Senate passage of the Make PPE in America Act (S. 1306).

With bipartisan support – it was introduced by U.S. Senators Rob Portman (R-OH) and Gary Peters (D-MI) – the bill is designed to strengthen efforts to onshore production of personal protective equipment in the United States.

PPE emerged as a breakout category for hardware stores and home centers during the pandemic.

The bill was included as part of the U.S. Innovation and Competition Act of 2021 (S. 1260) that passed the Senate by a vote of 68 to 32.

“I have long raised the alarm that our over-reliance on foreign manufacturers for masks, gloves and medical devices is a serious national security concern,” said Peters.

However, the CPA wasn’t calling the Senate’s approval as a complete victory. The CPA opposed the simultaneous passage of bill to remove all tariffs on foreign-made PPE.