Rep. Chip Roy introduces Beat China Act, says prescription drug manufacturing must return to US

America needs to bring drug manufacturing back home to the United States in preparation for future health crises like the coronavirus pandemic, Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas., said Wednesday.

In an interview on  "Fox & Friends" with host Steve Doocy, Roy said that because of the COVID-19 virus, the American people are starting to recognize the importance of U.S.-based production of medical supplies.

"China, I think something like 97 percent of our antibiotics come either directly from China or have significant materials that are coming through China," he remarked. "But, it's not just China by the way, right? India -- I think 40 percent of our generics come from India. And this is something we need to deal with."

According to the Council on Foreign Relations, it is believed that approximately 80 percent of the basic components used in U.S. drugs, known as active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs), come from China and India. However, the exact dependence remains unknown since no reliable API registry exists.