Pasco Reporter

Representatives Gus Bilirakis, Earl L. "Buddy" Carter, and Claudia Tenney have announced the formation of the American-Made Medicines Caucus. The caucus aims to promote policies supporting pharmaceutical manufacturing within the United States and secure the country's economic and national interests. This initiative highlights the need to reduce reliance on foreign suppliers for essential medications. In 2024, the United States imported 90% of its generic drugs and had a $127 billion trade deficit in pharmaceuticals.

Congressman Bilirakis voiced concerns over the country's dependency on Chinese pharmaceutical products and ingredients. "It's imperative that we find ways to increase domestic manufacturing capacity and preserve consumer access to these important and lifesaving products," he stated. Bilirakis emphasized the importance of addressing the issue to ensure public health and wellness are not too dependent on foreign adversaries.

Rep. Carter shared similar sentiments regarding the current reliance on China for pharmaceutical products. He expressed his worries by saying, "China determines whether we have the pharmaceutical products we need in the United States to keep our citizens healthy. That is a terrifying reality." Carter emphasized that bringing the critical supply chain back to the U.S. would enhance national security, create jobs, and improve public health.

Congresswoman Tenney expressed her eagerness to support domestic pharmaceutical production. "We must continue to support and encourage domestic pharmaceutical medicine production in our country," she said. Tenney also stated the caucus's focus on legislative solutions to enhance domestic production of essential medications.

This initiative by the American-Made Medicines Caucus reflects a collective effort to address these pressing challenges and enhance pharmaceutical security in the United States.