Boosting American Drone Manufacturing

The rise of drone technology has transformed how law enforcement agencies operate across the country. From search-and-rescue missions to disaster response and public safety operations, drones have become a critical tool for modern policing. However, too many agencies are relying on cheap drones built by foreign adversaries like China, risking sensitive operational data, enabling surveillance vulnerabilities, and leaving law enforcement dependent on technologies we don’t fully control.

That’s why I helped introduce the American Drone Manufacturing Dominance Act (H.R. 9430), legislation to strengthen our national security, support domestic manufacturing, and ensure that law enforcement agencies are using secure, American and allied-made systems.

The bill requires agencies receiving certain federal grants to phase out drones manufactured by adversarial foreign countries over a defined timeline. It also creates a DOJ-backed buyback program to help departments replace existing systems, while expanding grant funding through the Department of Commerce to grow America’s domestic drone manufacturing base.

In Michigan, we’ve already made progress in this space. Earlier this year, I helped secure the National All-Domain Warfighting Center as a Department of Defense-designated drone testing site, helping position our state as a hub for advanced drone development, manufacturing, and innovation. The American Drone Manufacturing Dominance Act builds on that momentum by ensuring public safety agencies are equipped with secure systems, while also strengthening America’s long-term leadership in drone technology.

This legislation is about ensuring the tools used to protect the public are built in the United States and our allies as well as aligned with our security interests.