Clarksville Times

The House Financial Services Subcommittee on National Security, Illicit Finance, and International Financial Institutions, led by Chairman Blaine Luetkemeyer, held a hearing titled “Mission Critical: Restoring National Security as the Focus of Defense Production Act Reauthorization” today.

During the hearing, Chairman Blaine Luetkemeyer highlighted the historical significance of the Defense Production Act (DPA), stating, "In response to the outbreak of the Korean War in 1950, my fellow Missourian President Harry Truman signed a law intended to ensure that our nation would have sufficient industrial resources to meet our national security needs." He emphasized the importance of the DPA in prioritizing the production and delivery of items critical to national security.

Luetkemeyer also pointed out that the DPA has been instrumental in incentivizing domestic manufacturing of essential items, stating, "It also provided a series of financial tools to incentivize the creation or growth of our domestic capacity to manufacture those items, particularly those that otherwise might not be made in the United States." Additionally, he highlighted the role of the DPA in safeguarding against foreign adversaries through the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS).

The Chairman acknowledged the recent increase in the federal government's utilization of the DPA's financial tools to address various challenges, including the allocation of funds for COVID-19 response and weapons production. He emphasized the need for a strong defense industrial base to compete globally, particularly against China.

Looking towards the future, Luetkemeyer expressed the importance of focusing DPA resources on enhancing the country's industrial capacity to tackle the challenges posed by China. He indicated that the current authorization of the DPA expires in September 2025 and called for modernizing and improving the Act to meet contemporary challenges.

The hearing aimed to gather insights from expert witnesses to identify solutions for the next reauthorization of the DPA. Chairman Blaine Luetkemeyer stated, "Today, our panel of witnesses will help the Committee identify appropriate solutions that Congress could implement in the next reauthorization by discussing the history and mechanics of the DPA, how it has been deployed, and how it could be focused, modernized, and improved."