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WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin today again pressed President Trump to make good on his Buy America pledge.
Senator Baldwin and Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR) sent a letter to President Trump today on the heels of a new report released from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) showing that under the World Trade Organization’s Agreement on Government Procurement and other free-trade agreements like the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), the U.S. has opened its doors to foreign firms far more than others have.
“This report finds that our government allows foreign firms more opportunities to bid on U.S. taxpayer-financed procurement than American firms receive in return from trade partner countries,” the Senator wrote to the Trump Administration.
Baldwin and Merkley also called on the Trump Administration to suspend Buy American waivers for foreign firms until the underlying agreements on government procurement are renegotiated.
“You promised the American people a “Buy American, Hire American,” trade policy. This report makes clear that our manufacturers are losing out in our trade deals. We are calling on you to honor your commitment by suspending Buy American waivers for foreign firms until government procurement chapters in our trade agreements are renegotiated. Absent such action, every government contract your administration signs risks sending hardworking Americans’ tax dollars abroad. Removing such terms from agreements such as the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) is an important step to trying to reverse our large trade deficits and provide more demand for U.S. made manufactured goods,” the Senators wrote.
A copy of the GAO Report is available here.
A copy of the letter is available here.
