Biden Betrays American Workers, Gives Another Win To China

Blue Star NBR CEO Scott Maier has addressed concerns about the United States’ dependence on China as the leading supplier of medical gloves instead of giving preference to American-made products. Maier has brought attention to the dangers this could cause the nation.

As the coronavirus epidemic revealed, personal protective equipment (PPE) was scarce in the United States. The emergency stockpile was depleted and not replenished. As a result, the Trump administration launched initiatives to produce rubber medical gloves and other necessities domestically.

Under the original arrangement, the DOD oversaw the contracts for HHS.

A synthetic rubber glove plant was contracted to be built in 2020 by Blue Star NBR, Maier’s company. They were also responsible for constructing a second facility to manufacture an unprecedented 18–20 billion gloves yearly. The United States uses 120 billion rubber gloves annually for everything from medical consultations to food handling; this production capability would have covered 17% of that demand.

The $123 million state-of-the-art rubber factory was finished in the spring of 2023. But getting it hooked up to the utilities costs an extra $60 million because of inflation and the skyrocketing prices of electricity and construction materials. Also, the glove factory couldn’t have been built without the $170 million never received.

The Department of Defense notified Maier in May 2023 that the contract had expired and that he would have to either find fresh funds or approach commercial entities for assistance.

Supposedly, Maier was apprised of the Biden HHS’s financial limitations, but in September 2023, the government awarded a contract to an alternative firm. The Louisiana rubber factory is slated to begin production in two years.

Domestic manufacturing of rubber gloves needed in the United States is reportedly at 2%. While the HHS did say it could produce more gloves, the increase was more related to infrastructure than anything else.

Maier had to start shutting down the production last fall to avoid this outcome.

A lot of other businesses are facing the same problems.

Their pleas to the Biden administration were ignored, according to Maier.

As far as Maier is concerned, the factories can’t move forward unless the Biden administration gives the money to finish them and start making things.

The likely Republican presidential contender, former president Donald Trump, has visited Maier’s Virginia factory to analyze the necessary activities, and the owner has shown his openness to the idea.