Bungling Biden Administration Imperils US PPE Manufacturing Plant
The Biden administration is being heavily criticized for wasting millions of dollars of taxpayer money and losing out on a crucial domestic manufacturing project initiated under President Donald Trump. The project was designed to bolster domestic American production of personal protective equipment (PPE), specifically medical gloves. Plans to secure U.S. manufacturing independence have come to a halt under the mismanagement of Joe Biden, leaving the nation more reliant than ever on foreign sources for PPE.
President Trump prioritized improving American medical supplies manufacturing strength, especially as the COVID-19 pandemic placed severe strain on global supply chains. One crucial part of the Trump program called for federal funding to build a new plant in Wythe County, Virginia, to manufacture medical gloves and nitrile butadiene rubber (NBR).
However, the Biden administration’s apparent disengagement now sees the entire project stalled out. Blue Star NBR, the company awarded the contract to operate the plant, has expressed frustration over the current administration’s lack of support and engagement. CEO Scott Maier described the failure of the Biden White House to follow through as “just wasted money.” He emphasized that the plant now faces deconstruction due to the government’s inaction.
The plant was designed to do much more than manufacture medical gloves. It was to be the only American facility capable of producing NBR, an essential component for making disposable medical gloves and other medical equipment. The project has already received $123 million in federal taxpayer funding and was intended to create more than 2,400 jobs for local Virginia residents.
The Department of Defense has acknowledged that Blue Star has completed its obligations under the contract to date. However, the Biden administration’s inaction on the project has led to a standstill. As a result of the unnecessary delay, the project would now require additional funding, estimated at $230 million, to become fully operational.
In an open letter, Maier was joined by executives from various medical supply companies in criticizing the federal government for abandoning its commitment to domestic PPE production. The letter emphasized the risk to public health and national security due to undue reliance on imports from potentially hostile countries like China and Malaysia, where forced labor issues and government interference have previously caused significant supply chain disruptions.
Even Joe Biden’s Democrat colleagues have expressed frustration with the project’s failure. Sens. Mark Warner (D-VA) and Tim Kaine (D-VA) have demanded that the Biden administration resolve the situation, to no avail. The Biden Health and Human Services (HHS) Department now says there are no current plans to continue production with Blue Star, even as it pays lip service to the need for robust domestic medical supply production.
