Braun Introduces Buy America Act For National Highway Bill

Statement

Today, U.S. Senator Mike Braun offered an amendment to America's Highway Infrastructure Act which strengthens the Department of Transportation (DOT) requirements to use "made-in-America" products in taxpayer-funded infrastructure projects.

"President Trump has done a tremendous job of bringing jobs back to our country, and my Buy America provision for the National Highway bill reinforces his America First priorities," said U.S. Senator Mike Braun. "As a logistics entrepreneur who has created hundreds of American jobs, I will make sure the National Highway bill improves our infrastructure, while ensuring that products used and jobs created from this legislation are made in the USA. For many workers, Buy America policies can mean the difference between going to work on Monday morning and facing a furlough because of a furnace closure."

BACKGROUND:

Senator Braun's Buy America Amendment: "Buy America requirements have been applied for decades to most federal transportation projects, but some projects that receive federal Department of Transportation (DOT) discretionary dollars are not subject to Buy America. To ensure that the economic benefits of taxpayer spending go to American workers and businesses, Buy America should apply to American-made iron, steel, and manufactured products in all DOT funded infrastructure projects.

"The Braun amendment ensures that every DOT assisted infrastructure project uses American-made iron, steel, and manufactured products. In addition, Buy America could be strengthened. For example, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) implements a blanket waiver for transportation projects which results in only applying the law to structural iron and steel, which the agency estimates to account for less than five percent (5%) of the costs of a typical highway project.

"The Braun amendment fixes these loopholes and ensures the Buy America statute actually results in the purchase of American-made products for all federally assisted infrastructure projects. Finally, the Braun Amendment codifies President Donald Trump's Buy American, Hire American (EO 13788) executive order which was signed in April 2017. The Executive Order directs the Secretary to only issue waivers when absolutely necessary, and to consider whether the cost advantage of the foreign produced material is a result of unfair trade practices."

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