Washington, DC — Edward Wytkind, president of the Transportation Trades Department, AFL-CIO (TTD), issues this statement in response to President Donald Trump’s “Buy American, Hire American” Executive Order, signed today:
“Today’s Executive Order represents a positive first step to improve the flaws in current Buy America policies. However, for today’s action to result in expanded U.S. manufacturing jobs, the Executive Order must be fully implemented and enforced, and the President must push Congress to strengthen Buy America rules as new infrastructure investments are considered.
“The Executive Order takes important steps to minimize waivers and maximize domestic content requirements. We are pleased this Order reaffirms that all iron and steel-making processes occur in the U.S., convenes a government-wide review of agency waivers, and analyzes the effect of foreign state-subsidies on waivers.
“While strengthening the waiver process is important, the Administration needs to move beyond Executive Orders and push Congress to expand the use of domestic content in infrastructure projects. This will require including transparent and strengthened standards in any infrastructure package or transportation legislation that Congress may consider in the future.
“The President should also seek to mainstream innovative local procurement policies – like the U.S. Employment Plan developed by the Jobs to Move America coalition – that reward good employers that pay middle-class wages, train their workers and target hiring to disadvantaged Americans, including single parents and veterans.
“Transportation unions have long believed that our federal policies should incentivize the use of public transportation funds to maximize U.S. job creation and revive the transportation manufacturing sector. We welcome today’s executive actions, but a lot of hard work remains to produce the results we believe the President is pursuing.”
President Trump Gives Buy America Policies a Needed Boost (219 kb)
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