WASHINGTON (NEWSnet/AP) —U.S. President Joe Biden on Monday opened the first meeting of his supply chain resilience council by warning companies against price-gouging and saying his administration is working to reduce expenses for U.S. families.

“We know that prices are still too high for too many things, that times are still too tough for too many families,” Biden said. “But we’ve made progress.”

The president has blamed inflation on factors such as the supply chain and Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Some Republican lawmakers say it was triggered by the $1.9 trillion in coronavirus relief that Biden signed in 2021.

Biden used the council meeting to announce 30 actions to improve access to medicine and programs tied to the production and shipment of goods.

Biden said GOP policies would leave supply chains vulnerable, claiming that Republicans want to cut investments he has made in infrastructure and advanced manufacturing. The president also said companies that are taking advantage of inflation to boost profits are “price gouging.”

Among 30 new actions, Biden will use the Defense Production Act to have the Health and Human Services Department invest in the domestic manufacturing of needed medicines that are deemed crucial for national security. The Cabinet agency has identified $35 million to invest in the production of materials for injectable medicine.

The federal government also will improve its ability to monitor supply chains through the sharing of data among agencies. The Commerce Department has developed new tools to assess risks to the supply chain and has partnered with the Energy Department on the supply of renewable energy resources. Shipping companies are beginning to use new data resources from the Transportation Department on freight logistics.

The supply chain group is co-chaired by Lael Brainard, director of White House National Economic Council, and Jake Sullivan, the White House national security adviser. Other members include heads of Cabinet departments, the U.S. trade representative, the chair of White House Council of Economic Advisers and directors of National Intelligence, Office of Management and Budget and Office of Science and Technology Policy.

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