Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Bob Latta (R-Bowling Green Ohio)
WASHINGTON, DC — Today, Congressman Bob Latta (OH-5) and Congresswoman Debbie Dingell (MI-6) introduced the bipartisan Biomanufacturing Excellence, Domestic Resilience, Output, and Competitive Know-how Act, or the BEDROCK Act. This legislation would help turn products invented in America into products made in America—supporting American manufacturing jobs, strengthening American supply chains, and reducing American dependence on Communist China.
Ohio’s Fifth Congressional District is home to over 1,000 manufacturers and more than 86,000 manufacturing jobs. From small family-owned shops to major production facilities, manufacturing offers Ohioans the opportunity to work, support their families, and build the products that the rest of the world needs. The BEDROCK Act would help bring that manufacturing tradition to the next generation of American industry.
Biomanufacturing uses biology to make products at industrial scale, such as new materials and medicines. American companies lead the world in discovering these new products, but all too often, the factories, suppliers, and jobs required to produce them at scale move overseas. Communist China has repeatedly made biomanufacturing a national priority; they now dominate the world’s fermentation capacity.
“Northern Ohio knows that manufacturing is the lifeblood of our economy,” Latta said. “For far too long, America has pioneered new inventions, only for Communist China to build the facilities—stealing the jobs that come with them. The BEDROCK Act would help reshore that work. This bipartisan legislation would create new opportunities for Ohio workers, strengthen the biomanufacturing supply chain, and make it easier for American manufacturers to produce at home.”
“America’s manufacturing might has been hollowed out for decades,” Dingell said. “This bipartisan bill will strengthen and create good-paying jobs, as well as reduce our reliance on China. I am proud to support this effort to invest in America’s workers and ensure we do not cede our competitive edge to our adversaries.”
The BEDROCK Act would:
- Designate a senior Department of Commerce official to lead efforts to strengthen U.S. biomanufacturing competitiveness;
- Assess critical supply-chain inputs, domestic production capacity, commercialization barriers, and reliance on China and other foreign adversaries;
- Develop a prioritized action plan and consolidate existing federal resources to address the most significant risks and barriers; and
- Map federal commercialization processes, establish FDA and EPA points of contact, and publish industry-led practices to help companies scale production.
“For too long, biomanufacturing’s importance to both national security and industrial policy has been overlooked,” said Sam Dorn, Vice President of Policy & Government Affairs, the New American Industrial Alliance (NAIA). “By developing a critical biomanufacturing action plan, streamlining government coordination, and mapping key supply chains, the BEDROCK Act would begin to address that dangerous oversight. Rep. Latta and Rep. Dingell are to be commended for their leadership in this important effort.”
“This legislation gives biomanufacturing the clear federal leadership, honest risk assessment, and streamlined pathways it has long needed,” said Brooke Coleman, Executive Director, the American Alliance for Biomanufacturing. “It’s a critical piece of the broader push to accelerate commercial deployment here at home and ensure America—not our competitors—leads the world in biomanufacturing. Federal agencies must treat this as the strategic priority it is, and the Department of Commerce must be at the forefront of this effort.”
“A strong domestic biomanufacturing base helps ensure that innovative medicines can be developed and produced reliably in the United States while creating high-value jobs and economic opportunity,” said Dr. Kelvin H. Lee, Institute Director, the National Institute for Innovation in Manufacturing Biopharmaceuticals. “The BEDROCK Act supports these goals by strengthening the capabilities and supply chains that underpin modern biopharmaceutical manufacturing.”
“ITIF supports the BEDROCK Act as a practical step toward strengthening U.S. biomanufacturing competitiveness and reducing reliance on China,” said Stephen Ezell, Executive Vice President, Global Innovation Policy, Information Technology and Innovation Foundation. “As China rapidly expands its state-backed biomanufacturing capacity, the United States needs a clearer picture of its supply-chain vulnerabilities and a more coordinated federal pathway for companies to commercialize. By directing Commerce to assess critical supply-chain dependencies, identify reliance on foreign adversaries, and streamline the federal commercialization process, the BEDROCK Act would help address these gaps and strengthen America’s biomanufacturing ecosystem.”
“LanzaTech’s gas fermentation platform is headquartered in the United States and has been successfully commercialized around the world, proving that U.S.-developed technology can compete, scale, and lead in international markets,” said Dr. Jennifer Holmgren, Chief Executive Officer, LanzaTech. “That global leadership would be reinforced by a stronger domestic biomanufacturing base. Expanding deployment here at home would strengthen U.S. economic and national security, support domestic manufacturing of critical products such as sustainable aviation fuel and other strategic supply chain materials, and create high-quality American jobs across engineering, construction, operations, and advanced manufacturing. By providing a single federal point of coordination, a clear pathway to commercialization, and greater visibility into supply chain dependencies, the BEDROCK Act would help accelerate biomanufacturing investment in the United States while ensuring that American innovation continues to set the pace globally.”
Read the full bill HERE.
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