00:00...on the Defense Production Act by highlighting that this act is a vital tool for protecting the American people and securing the economic foundations of our national defense.
00:10The DPA was enacted during the early days of the Cold War to ensure that the United States could rapidly scale up domestic industrial capacity in times of national emergency.
00:20Over the past 70 years, it has stood the test of time, empowering presidents from both parties to respond to urgent security needs with decisive action.
00:30The world has changed dramatically since the DPA was first signed into law.
00:36Bless you.
00:38The threats we face today are more complex and often more economically driven than ever before.
00:43Threats from adversaries weaponizing supply chains to our dangerous over-reliance on foreign sources for critical minerals, pharmaceuticals, and defense components.
00:54The DPA gives us the authority to meet these challenges head-on.
00:59And as chairman of this committee, I believe ensuring the DPA remains a focused, reliable, and agile authority to support national security and true national emergency response is among our committee's highest priorities and responsibilities.
01:15The standing rules of the Senate provide this committee with jurisdiction over the defense production and economic stabilization.
01:21As we consider improvements to this act, we have an opportunity to ensure that the law continues to support American security and resilience in the years to come.
01:31That means keeping the DPA tightly tailored to the purposes for which it was created.
01:36Defense production, emergency preparedness, and the protection of critical domestic supply chains.
01:43We must ensure that the DPA supports the defense industrial base, the backbone of our military strength.
01:49That includes investments in munitions, manufacturing, and advanced technologies that enable our warfighters to deter and defeat threats.
01:58It is also important to secure certain economic supply lines critical to our national interest.
02:03Whether that is from domestic mining and processing of rare earth elements to building out second source capabilities for antibiotics and essential pharmaceuticals, which are overwhelmingly sourced overseas today.
02:18The COVID-19 pandemic reminded us in stark terms that we cannot rely on foreign nations like China to outsource the production of life-saving medicine.
02:30The DPA has also helped Americans in moments of natural disaster and national emergency, including supporting disaster relief efforts and ramping up production of PPE during COVID.
02:43These are the kinds of uses that fall squarely within the act's original mission.
02:50It is no coincidence that the America First agenda has prominently featured the DPA in its approach to national security and industrial independence.
02:58Notably, President Trump's executive order on critical minerals recognized that long-term security means reducing dependence on geopolitical rivals for resources we need to defend our homeland and grow our economy.
03:12Let me close by thanking our witnesses for being with us today and taking your time and providing your insights that are necessary.
03:19Your testimony will help inform this committee's work as we move toward a responsible reauthorization of the DPA.
03:26If we remain focused and principled, we can ensure the DPA continues to protect the American people, bolster our defense readiness, and secure our strategic supply chains for decades to come.
