Chairman Rick Scott led a hearing of the Senate Special Committee on Aging on Mar. 11 to examine how China has gained control over key parts of America's pharmaceutical manufacturing and the consequences for domestic production capacity.
The issue is significant because many essential medicines used by Americans, especially seniors, are now produced overseas, raising concerns about national security and patient safety. The committee's work aims to address policy failures that have contributed to this reliance and to promote reforms such as the CLEAR LABELS Act, which would require clear disclosure of where medicines are manufactured.
During the hearing, witnesses including former Congressman Ted Yoho, author Gordon G. Chang, and author Rosemary Gibson discussed China's role in controlling active pharmaceutical ingredients and finished generic drugs. Scott said, “What if I told you that Communist China, an adversary of the United States, has sole control of the building blocks of many of the medicines seniors and Americans rely on?” He added that this situation is not speculation but reality.
Scott criticized past decisions by U.S. policymakers: “This happened because Washington was negligent, lobbyists are powerful, and politicians in both parties chose cheap over safe.” He described how domestic drug production dropped from 84% in 2002 to just 37% today and noted that 80% of active pharmaceutical ingredients used in essential medicines have no U.S. source.
The committee has taken several steps over recent months, including writing letters to federal agencies and industry groups about foreign sourcing practices and publishing an investigative report documenting the decline in American drug manufacturing. Scott said, “If we just sit here... it will happen again, but worse.”
The Senate Aging Committee focuses on issues affecting older Americans such as Social Security, Medicare, long-term care, retirement security, fraud prevention resources like a hotline for older adults according to its official website. The committee maintains offices in both the Dirksen Senate Office Building (majority) and Hart Senate Office Building (minority), with oversight extending nationwide across aging-related federal programs according to its official website. Rick Scott serves as chair while Kirsten Gillibrand is ranking member according to its official website.
Looking ahead, Scott called for continued bipartisan cooperation: “Let’s find a path forward that will protect American patients and American lives – the lives of OUR CONSTITUENTS.”
