WASHINGTON, D.C.— U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Chair of the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee today held a hearing examining American supply chains, highlighting critical supply chains such as in the aerospace and semiconductor sectors. The hearing will inform Committee oversight as the Department of Commerce (DOC) executes new responsibilities for supply chain resiliency.

“I can say for me in the state of Washington, [the] aviation supply chain is something we're very proud of,” Chair Cantwell said. “More than 150,000 people work in that supply chain that continues to innovate and create new products. That's where the innovation is happening, in the supply chain.”

Chair Cantwell has long focused on supporting the aerospace supply chain and its workforce. In May of 2020, she wrote then-Treasury Secretary Mnuchin urging him to expand the allocation of loans made under the CARES Act to include aerospace supply chain companies that were being hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic.

”Congress has caught on that the supply chain is key to our economic strategy, and that a robust supply chain in the United States of America means we're going to continue to have robust employment in the United States of America,” Chair Cantwell said.“Without the resiliency of the supply chain, our services and security could be impacted.”

Cantwell was a key voice pushing to make resources for the aviation supply chain available within the American Rescue Plan, which passed in March. She fought to include the Aviation Manufacturing Jobs Protection program (AMJP), a $3 billion dollar payroll support program, in the legislation.

“In this legislation, we will be, for the first time, making resources available for that supply chain,” Chair Cantwell said in a Senate Floor speech advocating for AMJP, “It will help us retain and rehire workers in the aviation manufacturing sector. It will help us keep highly skilled workers who serve as the backbone of industries so that our nation can continue to be poised for the recovery. And it helps us in making sure that we are poised for a strong recovery. We know that aviation manufacturing jobs mean a lot to our nation. Finally, we're going to help stave off the tide of the huge losses that we've seen in that sector.”

In April, Chair Cantwell held a roundtable with representatives from aerospace manufacturing and supply chain companies around the State of Washington to talk about the impact of COVID-19 on their businesses and their recovery needs. Chair Cantwell also led Senate passage of the United States Innovation and Competition Act, which would provide funds for domestic semiconductor manufacturing, promote regional technology hubs, and create a new supply chain resiliency office within the Department of Commerce.U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Chair of the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee today held a hearing examining American supply chains, highlighting critical supply chains such as in the aerospace and semiconductor sectors. The hearing will inform Committee oversight as the Department of Commerce (DOC) executes new responsibilities for supply chain resiliency.

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