Birmingham, AL (January 31, 2024) – Today, Rep. Diana Harshbarger (R-TN) and Rep. Juan Vargas (D-CA) introduced the United States-Abraham Accords Cooperation and Security Act of 2024 (H.R. 7155), which calls for the establishment of a U.S. FDA Bureau in the Abraham Accords region. The bill already has strong bipartisan support, with Reps. Rick Allen (R-GA), Andy Harris (R-MD), Mike Levin (D-CA), Scott Peters (D-CA), and Randy Weber (R-TX) signed on as original co-sponsors.

 

The United States Israel Education Association (USIEA) – a nonprofit organization that educates bipartisan members of Congress on avenues to build the U.S.-Israel collaboration – provided the initial research to Representatives Harshbarger and Vargas. USIEA proudly endorses the United States-Abraham Accords Cooperation and Security Act of 2024.

 

“I would like to thank USIEA for bringing this strategic solution to our attention,” said Rep. Harshbarger. “Mr. Vargas and I, along with our team of cosponsors, believe this legislation is advantageous for current Abraham Accords members and serves as an incentive to other countries to join the Accords to benefit from an FDA presence in the region. This way, other economies can also help ensure the safety, quality, and effectiveness of medical products and food produced in their countries for approval to export to the United States."

 

The United States-Abraham Accords Cooperation and Security Act was inspired by USIEA’s America’s Medical Friendshoring Solution, which calls for the establishment of an FDA bureau in the Abraham Accords region to serve as a staging ground for friend-shoring collaboration. USIEA recognized America’s acutely vulnerable overreliance on China for its essential medical and pharmaceutical supply chains and identified this favorable friend-shoring opportunity to provide guidance and technical assistance to allied countries that are more amicable and strategic 

 

“America’s national security is at stake if we do not safeguard our essential medical and pharmaceutical supply chains,” said Heather Johnston, Founder and CEO of USIEA. “By friend-shoring to our Abraham Accords allies, we not only diversify and fortify these lifesaving supply chains, but we gain newfound access to medical advancements, technological breakthroughs, and innovation emanating from this region.”

 

More than 80% of the Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs) for drugs sold in the U.S. come from overseas, primarily China and India. India is the largest producer of generic medications in the world; however, the U.S. is dependent on China for most of its APIs.

 

This legislation will establish a set list of steps to achieve a bureau in the region, including developing a list of essential medical, biomedical, and life sciences products, their key raw pharmaceutical ingredients and APIs; developing a list of medical, biomedical, and life sciences

facilities and entities in the Abraham Accords countries to bolster the United States’ health care and medical supply needs; collaborating on good manufacturing practices for medical products regulated by the FDA; sharing regulator information between the bureau and interested parties in the region; and offering technical assistance on manufacturing drugs.

 

As a next step, USIEA will continue its efforts to educate on initiatives that benefit both the U.S. consumer and the Abraham Accords countries.

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About USIEA:

U.S. Israel Education Association (USIEA) advances important dialogue and cooperation between bipartisan senior government leaders in the United States and Israel by filling existing information gaps and enhancing understanding of issues critical to a mutually beneficial partnership. Founded in 2011, USIEA empowers U.S. leaders with innovative initiatives on the path to Middle East peace, connects Members of Congress with direct access to West Bank visits, and educates as thought leaders in the media and through strategic global partnerships.