Feb
24
2021
The United States has only one remaining producer of grain-oriented electrical steel, a specialty metal needed to maintain municipal electric grids. It took the country months to ramp up production of medical-grade facemasks needed by the healthcare workers on the front lines treating COVID-19 patients. And the Pentagon has warned that deindustrialization and weakened supply chains have made it more difficult to obtain the supplies needed to defend the nation.
These are examples of an industrial erosion that has seen more than 63,000 American factories close since 2001, which has left the United States unable to respond quickly to threats and catastrophes.
This neglect is coming at a serious cost to American security. We must identify industries crucial to it, and put in place policies to shore them up. It’s time to get organized before the next disaster hits.
The Facts
As our supply chains have moved offshore and our critical infrastructure has crumbled, our nation’s security has been weakened.
American Security Must be American-Made
Without a strong manufacturing sector, America can’t provide for its own defense or respond quickly to disasters. That makes addressing the health of our industrial base a serious national security issue.
Resources
American-Made National Security?
Our military is dangerously dependent on foreign nations for the products needed to defend America.
Executive Summary: ReMaking American Security
Overreliance on global supply chains has left our military vulnerable.
Preparing for 21st Century Risks
Improving U.S. infrastructure is critical to our homeland security.
