President Biden issued an Executive Order (EO) on the “White House Council on Supply Chain Resilience,” which formalizes the White House Council on Supply Chain Resilience consisting of cabinet departments – including State, Treasury, Defense, Agriculture, Transportation, Labor, Energy, Homeland Security, and the Environmental Protection Agency – and other key officials. The White House Council on Supply Chain Resilience first met in November 2023 as part of the Administration’s efforts to improve supply chains impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The EO requires the Council to issue a report by the end of 2024 – and every four years thereafter – regarding, among other things: (1) federal incentives and any potential amendments to federal procurement regulations that may be necessary to attract and retain private sector investments in the supply chains for critical goods and materials and other essential goods, materials, and services; (2) a strategic plan that includes diplomatic, economic, security, international development, trade, and other policy actions to guide United States engagement with allies and partners, including through regional economic frameworks or partnerships supported by the United States, to strengthen global supply chain resilience in critical sectors; (3) education and workforce reforms needed to strengthen the domestic industrial base for critical goods and materials and other essential goods, materials, and services; (4) actions for the insulation of federal supply chain analyses and actions from conflicts of interest, corruption, or the appearance of impropriety; (5) potential legislative changes that would promote the policy objectives set forth in section 1 of EO 14017 “Executive Order on America’s Supply Chains” (February 2021) and this new EO; (6) reforms to domestic and international trade rules and agreements that could be pursued to support supply chain resilience, security, diversity, sustainability, and strength; and (7) steps to ensure that the federal government’s supply chain policies support small businesses and family-owned small- and mid-sized farming operations, prevent monopolization, strengthen critical infrastructure, and empower workers to advocate for their rights and quality jobs.