WASHINGTON DC — Last week, the US House of Representatives approved an amendment offered by Illinois' 12th CD U.S. Rep. Mike Bost that supports President Trump’s executive order to strengthen “Buy-American” preferences for infrastructure projects.
Bost’s amendment, approved by a bipartisan 373-51 margin, gives American companies a better chance of being selected for contracts and funding by federal agencies. The amendment must still be accepted by the U.S. Senate and signed by Trump before it becomes federal law.
“When federal agencies spend tax dollars, those dollars should be spent on American-made products,” said Bost. “This not only includes items directly procured by the federal government, but also those funded through federal aid programs. Unfortunately, Buy-American preference requirements are not consistently applied between various agencies. This may result in the loss of jobs and missed contracting opportunities for American businesses and workers. My amendment helps ensure that American jobs and American workers come first by strengthening Buy-American preferences for federal agencies.”
Bost’s efforts supplement President Trump’s executive order to direct federal agency heads to identify opportunities to maximize the use of American-made products, addressing potential shortfalls of billions of dollars spent on the procurement of goods and services from foreign businesses.
