WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Chair of the U.S. Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Airland and a member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science & Transportation and U.S. Senate Committee on Small Business & Entrepreneurship, today spoke with President Joe Biden in the Oval Office about global supply chain issues. Duckworth and the President, joined by other Members of Congress, discussed product shortages and the subsequent impact on U.S. global competitiveness, as well as the need for a whole-of-government approach to maintain small and medium-sized business involvement in the defense industrial base, especially in light of new Department of Defense cybersecurity requirements for defense contracts.

“I want to thank President Biden for speaking with me about this important issue today,” said Duckworth. “A robust economy and secure domestic supply chain for essential materials are key to countering China, and both small and medium-size businesses as well as manufacturers are critical players in that effort. The Department of Defense is embarking on a worthwhile effort to bolster cybersecurity defenses, but that effort has left many small businesses without the necessary guidance and support to navigate the changing landscape. In the same way our military strategy cannot rely on F-35s and aircraft carriers alone, our nation cannot rely solely on large defense contractors to fulfill every domestic need. I look forward to partnering with the White House on creating a whole of government approach to these issues and on maintaining the vital role of small businesses within our industrial framework.”

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In February, Duckworth joined a bipartisan letter urging the White House to work with Congress in addressing the global semiconductor shortage facing auto manufacturing.

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