Summary of Selected Biden Administration Actions on Supply Chains

Summary of Selected Biden Administration Actions on Supply Chains

INSIGHTi

Summary of Selected Biden Administration
Actions on Supply Chains
Updated June 14, 2022
This CRS Insight presents selected Biden Administration actions on supply chains. The U.S. economy has
faced many supply disruptions and bottlenecks since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. These
supply issues have contributed to high inflation throughout 2021 and thus far in 2022. For more
information on supply chain disruptions and their effect on the U.S. economy, see CRS Insight IN11926.
The first section of this Insight focuses on select executive orders signed by President Biden aimed at
supply chain issues. The second section focuses on other Administration actions and goals to reduce
supply chain disruptions and bottlenecks. Both sections are organized in chronological order. Each header
provides a hyperlink to a description of the action in question.
Executive Orders
Executive Order (E.O.) 14001: A Sustainable Public Health Supply Chain
President Biden signed E.O. 14001 on January 21, 2021. It orders immediate action to secure supplies
necessary for responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Secretaries of State, Defense, and Health and
Human Services and the heads of any other agencies deemed relevant are tasked with providing a report
on each agency’s inventory of supplies, the capacity to produce or procure more supplies, and any gaps in
the supply chain, along with recommendations for how to close the identified gaps.
E.O. 14005: Ensuring the Future Is Made in All of America by All of America’s Workers
President Biden signed E.O. 14005 on January 25, 2021. It tasks the U.S. government with using federal
financial assistance awards and procurements to maximize production in the United States. The E.O.
additionally establishes the Made in America Office within the Office of Management and Budget for the
purpose of updating and centralizing the Made in America waiver process.
E.O. 14017: America’s Supply Chains
President Biden signed E.O. 14017 on February 24, 2021. It orders year-long reviews of six sectors and a
100-day review of four classes of products where American manufacturers rely on imports. The E.O.
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required a capstone report and six sector reports from the Departments of Defense, Commerce and
Homeland Security, Energy, Agriculture, Transportation, and Health and Human Services.
Other Actions
Supply Chain Task Force
On June 8, 2021, President Biden announced the creation of a Supply Chain Disruption Task Force, a
whole-of-government approach focused on relieving near-term supply and demand mismatches,
specifically in the homebuilding and construction, semiconductor, transportation, and agriculture and food
industries. It is also directed to increasing data sharing among agencies.
Summit on Global Supply Chain Resilience
On October 31, 2021, President Biden attended a summit in Rome for the European Union and 14 other
trade partners at which he promoted Administration actions, including
the expansion of port operating hours on the U.S. west coast, the launching of an Early Warning
System for potential disruptions in semiconductor manufacturing, [and the] Li-Bridge—a new
public-private alliance committed to accelerating development of a robust and secure domestic
supply chain for lithium-based batteries.
In the summit statement, four key pillars of supply chain resilience are outlined: (1) transparency; (2)
diversity, openness, and predictability; (3) security; and (4) sustainability. In his remarks, President Biden
announced additional funding to cut port congestion and an executive order to strengthen the management
of defense stockpiles for minerals and materials.
Steps to Accelerate Investment in Ports, Waterways, and Freight Networks
On November 9, 2021, the Biden Administration announced goals and timelines to “mobilize federal
agencies and lay the foundation for the successful implementation” of the Infrastructure Investment and
Jobs Act, P.L. 117-58. The action plan was structured to “increase federal flexibilities for port grants,
accelerate port infrastructure grant awards, announce new construction projects for coastal navigation,
inland waterways and land ports of entry, and launch the first round of expanded port infrastructure grants
funded through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal.”
Roundtable with Retail Companies Regarding Holiday Shopping Season
On November 29, 2021, President Biden, Director of the National Economic Council Brian Deese, and
Director of the Office of Public Engagement Cedric Richmond hosted a roundtable with a group of
American companies to discuss their outlook for the holiday shopping season and the steps companies of
all sizes had taken to meet consumer demand. The meeting additionally highlighted steps companies had
taken to overcome supply chain bottlenecks and progress seen at the Ports of Los Angeles and Long
Beach in California.
Plan to Revitalize American Manufacturing and Secure Critical Supply Chains in 2022
On February 24, 2022, the Biden Administration announced additional plans to build long-term resilience
in supply chains based on findings from the reports ordered by E.O. 14017. New actions include
 proposing a new domestic manufacturing initiative through the Export-Import Bank to
strengthen U.S. manufacturing exports,

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
 expanding access to capital for small manufacturers through new and existing programs
at the Department of the Treasury and the Small Business Administration,
 advancing the technological leadership of manufacturers based on a series of roundtables
and the first America’s Seed Fund Start-up Expo,
 opening of the $450 million Port Infrastructure Development Grant program,
 planning to expand domestic rare earth processing and reforming mining laws, and
 dedicating $1 billion from American Rescue Plan Act funds to expand the independent
processing capacity of meat and poultry producers.
Freight Logistics Optimization Works (FLOW)
On March 15, 2022, the Biden Administration announced a new initiative, FLOW, to improve supply
chain data flow. FLOW is “an information sharing initiative to pilot key freight information exchange
between parts of the goods movement supply chain.” Participants include private businesses,
warehousing, logistics companies, and ports, among others. FLOW is intended to speed up delivery times
and reduce costs.
Housing Supply Action Plan
On May 16, 2022, the Biden Administration announced a Housing Supply Action Plan with the goal of
eliminating housing supply constraints within five years. Among proposed actions, the plan aims to
incentivize zoning and land-use policies, create new and improve existing financing mechanisms, and
collaborate with the private sector to increase construction.

Author Information

Lida R. Weinstock

Analyst in Macroeconomic Policy

Disclaimer
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