The coalition brings together the AISI and the USW, both major consumers of personal protective equipment, even long so before the COVID-19 pandemic, with representatives of the textile industry and other American manufacturers.  

“The coronavirus has exposed severe gaps in our national readiness to respond to a public health emergency of this magnitude.
We agree with the strong bipartisan consensus building in Washington and across the country that the United States must have domestic capacity to produce PPE and other vital medical supplies without relying on imports from other countries,” the coalition said in a statement. 

Among other policy prescriptions, the coalition recommends financial incentives for companies that invest in domestic PPE production and the maintenance of a robust strategic stockpile.