Senator Vance’s legislation would identify the regulatory barriers that reduce America’s industrial capacity and develop a national strategy to remobilize defense production.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator JD Vance (R-OH) will introduce the William S. Knudsen Defense Remobilization Act to launch the remobilization of American defense production. Senators Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Eric Schmitt (R-MO) join as original cosponsors. The legislation will establish a Commission for American Defense-Industrial Mobilization. The Commission, comprised of twelve industry leaders and experts, would be tasked with the execution of a review of the defense-industrial base of the United States, including an assessment of the production requirements necessary to wage a major war across multiple theaters. The Commission would also be charged with identifying supply chain bottlenecks, obstacles to competition, requirements for the conversion of civilian commercial facilities to defense production in a national emergency, analyzing the regulatory burdens that weaken the defense industrial base, and producing a comprehensive report and national security strategy to restore the United States’ capacity to lead the world in defense manufacturing. The legislation is named for lieutenant general William S. Knudsen, a former Ford and GM executive who was tapped by President Roosevelt to spearhead war production and industrial mobilization efforts in the lead up to World War II. General Knudsen later managed the Army Air Forces Material and Services Command headquartered at Patterson Field, Ohio.
“America’s military stockpiles are dangerously low. Joe Biden has spent two years sending more weapons to Ukraine than we’re capable of manufacturing, and it’s putting our national security at risk,” said Senator Vance. “We’re woefully unprepared for any type of major conflict. This legislation would recruit industry experts to identify the shortfalls of our military industrial base and outline necessary regulatory reforms to get defense production back on track.”
“As we suffer from critical shortages in vital defense supplies, the William S. Knudsen Defense Remobilization Act would provide a strategic roadmap to revitalize America’s industrial capacity,” said Senator Rubio. “This effort underscores our commitment to safeguarding America’s sovereignty and ensuring our readiness to defend against any threat.”
“As the United States faces the existential threat of a rapidly modernizing military by the People’s Republic of China, it’s long overdue that the United States take a hard look at how we can remobilize and revitalize our industrial base—the William S. Knudsen Defense Remobilization Act will do just that,” said Senator Schmitt.
As Senator Vance has long warned, the United States is facing critical supply shortages and manufacturing capacity constraints across a wide range of key weapons systems, including artillery shells, rocket motors, and components for the Patriot missile system. These shortages weaken the United States’ ability to protect our national interest at home and abroad – weapons systems promised to Taiwan nearly a decade ago, for example, are still on backorder. While the GDP of the United States easily surpasses the GDP of our adversaries, our capacity to compete in defense manufacturing does not. Texas’ GDP eclipses the GDP of Russia, and yet the Russians have managed to produce key munitions, including artillery shells, at a faster rate than the United States. This is a clear mandate for corrective action.
Read Senator Vance’s bill here.