Stop spending Defense Production Act money on foreign suppliers
By Dean Popps
Jun 15, 07:00 AM
For the second year in a row, and just as the fiscal 2024 National Defense Authorization Act process peaks in Congress, the Biden administration’s Defense Department seeks executive branch authority to spend U.S. taxpayer Defense Production Act money with foreign suppliers, in addition to American ones.
Last year, Congress rejected the proposal, and it would be wise to do so again.
For medical equipment, automotive chips and everything in between, the COVID-19 pandemic and resultant national emergency exposed U.S. reliance on weak or nonexistent supply chain policies. These prioritized globalization and eliminating the cost of maintaining critical national stockpiles. Common sense now dictates a different national security supply chain approach.
Reliance on foreign suppliers, friend or not, creates unacceptable risk in national emergencies. The DoD should not seek to expose the nation to foreign threats, and should seek to adhere to the national security intents spelled out in the Defense Production Act.
https://www.defensenews.com/opinion/commentary/2023/06/15/stop-spending-defense-production-act-money-on-foreign-suppliers/
