A screenshot of Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Wash.) and Axios reporter Caitlin Owens at an Axios event on Tuesday.
Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Wash.) at an Axios event Tuesday said the U.S. needs to ensure its not "dependent upon China" for resources like medical equipment during the next pandemic.
What she's saying: "I believe [that we] need to make sure that we continue to stay on the forefront and not allow China to rise as the biomedical leader in the world," Rodgers said, adding that they the U.S. became "dangerously dependent" on China's supply chain for its pandemic response.
- Flashback: The U.S. struggled with shortages of protective equipment in the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, which impacted the national response.
Details: Rodgers said that she wanted to continue to prioritize American innovation, citing Operation Warp Speed as an example of a project that did so.
- "The public-private partnership that came together to develop a vaccine in less than a year — actually three vaccines. And a lot of people doubted it could be done," Rodgers said. "And yet, because of American innovation, American leadership, we were able to accomplish that goal."