Rep. Vargas Introduces Bipartisan Legislation for Middle East FDA Office
Media Contact: Rep. Vargas | Anzueth Barela | anzueth.barela@mail.house.gov
WASHINGTON, D.C. (January 31, 2024) — Today, Rep. Juan Vargas (CA-52) and Rep. Diana Harshbarger (R-TN-01) introduced the United States-Abraham Accords Cooperation and Security Act of 2024 (H.R. 7155), which calls for the establishment of a U.S. FDA Bureau in the Abraham Accords region.
“I’m pleased to cosponsor the United States-Abraham Accords Cooperation and Security Act, which would establish an FDA office in Israel. This legislation will increase economic ties and promote peace between our countries and our Abraham Accord Partners,” said Congressman Juan Vargas. “Diversifying supply chains helps to make sure that Americans continue to have access to the drugs they rely on. By putting FDA experts on the ground in Israel and the Middle East, this legislation will support efforts to develop safe drugs and new technologies.”
"Our continued dependence on foreign countries, especially our adversaries such as China, for pharmaceutical products endangers our medical supply chains and jeopardizes our national security," said Congresswoman Diana Harshbarger."My United States-Abraham Accords Cooperation and Security Act will establish FDA posts in Abraham Accords countries, notably our ally Israel, in order to promote robust and resilient medical supply chains. This vital legislation addresses the high priority need to diversify our medical product supply chains, bolsters our national and healthcare security, and marks a significant step toward ending our reliance on China for vital pharmaceutical products."
"We applaud Reps. Harshbarger, Vargas, and their bipartisan colleagues for introducing this important legislation. With the rise of the Abraham Accords normalization treaties in the Middle East and the economic and medical innovation that is peaking in the region, the vision to friend-shore a significant portion of America’s critical medical supply chains has never been more relevant or achievable," said Heather Johnston, founder, and CEO of the U.S. Israel Education Association (USIEA). “There is a bright economic, diplomatic, and collaborative future for all who are involved. For the U.S., the motivation is not so much financial as it is an increasing national security issue to urgently protect our medical supply chains and fortify relationships with our key allies in the region.”
More than 80% of the Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs) for drugs sold in the U.S. come from overseas—primarily from China and India. While India is the largest producer of generic medications in the world, the U.S. is dependent on China for most of its APIs.
The bill has bipartisan support, with Reps. Rick Allen (R-GA), Andy Harris (R-MD), Mike Levin (D-CA), Scott Peters (D-CA), and Randy Weber (R-TX) signed on as original co-sponsors.
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