January 8, 2026
Honorable Shelley Moore Capito
Chair, Senate EPW Committee
Washington, DC 20510
Honorable Sheldon Whitehouse
Ranking Member, Senate EPW Committee
Washington, DC 20510
Honorable Tim Scott
Chair, Senate Banking Committee
Washington, DC 20510
Honorable Elizabeth Warren
Ranking Member, Senate Banking Committee
Washington, DC 20510
Honorable Ted Cruz
Chair, Senate Commerce Committee
Washington, DC 20510
Honorable Maria Cantwell
Ranking Member, Senate Commerce Committee
Washington, DC 20510
Honorable Sam Graves
Chair, House T&I Committee
Washington, DC 20515
Honorable Rick Larsen
Ranking Member, House T&I Committee
Washington, DC 20515
Dear Chairs Capito, Graves, Scott and Cruz and Ranking Members Whitehouse, Larsen, Warren and
Cantwell:
On behalf of the undersigned organizations – representing the overwhelming majority of America’s iron and steel producers, fabricators, and workers – we write to express our collective support for addressing America’s infrastructure needs through the upcoming surface transportation reauthorization bill. As Congress prepares to consider this important legislation, we urge you to preserve strong Buy America policies that maximize the economic and security benefits of these investments which are an integral component of the nation’s transportation sector.
A robust reauthorization that upgrades the nation’s transportation networks and drives demand for domestically produced iron and steel, construction materials, and manufactured products will deliver lasting benefits to our economy, national security, and communities across the country. For decades, America’s workers have melted, rolled, and fabricated the steel inputs that form the foundation for our nation’s public works, providing the essential products and materials for bridges, road safety apparatus, transit vehicles, airports, rail and other critical infrastructure. Strong Buy America laws have ensured that the sourcing decisions made in taxpayer-funded projects align with our labor and environmental standards, while also strengthening our national security by reducing dependence on unreliable foreign suppliers. These policies reward companies that operate, invest, and create jobs in the United States and discourage offshoring to nations that disregard worker safety, pollute excessively, and jeopardize supply chain integrity. Moreover, taxpayers themselves demand Buy America by a five-to-one margin. According to Morning Consult, Americans overwhelmingly prefer that infrastructure
projects use American-made inputs over imports.
We applaud the bipartisan Build America, Buy America (BABA) provisions included in the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (P.L. 117-58), which ensure that domestic content preferences are applied to all federally assisted infrastructure projects. BABA has been instrumental in directing infrastructure investments toward U.S.-produced products and materials, including steel that is “melted and poured” and fabricated by America’s workers. This commonsense policy foster investments in our industrial base, enhances supply chain resilience, and creates good-paying jobs. Thus, as you consider the next reauthorization, we urge you to keep our nation’s Buy America laws strong and reject any efforts to weaken or erode them. Together, as the iron and steel backbone of our nation, we stand ready to work with you to build America’s infrastructure with American-made products and materials.
Sincerely,
Alliance for American Manufacturing (AAM)
American Foundry Society (AFS)
American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC)
American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI)
American Line Pipe Producers Association (ALPPA)
American Wire Producers Association (AWPA)
Cold Finished Steel Bar Institute (CFSBI)
Committee on Pipe and Tube Imports (CPTI)
Concrete Reinforcing Steel Institute (CRSI)
International Association of Machinists (IAM Union)
Iron Ore Alliance (IOA)
Municipal Castings Association (MCA)
National Steel Bridge Alliance (NSBA)
Specialty Steel Industry of North America (SSINA)
Steel Manufacturers Association (SMA)
Transportation Trades Department, AFL-CIO (TTD)
United Steelworkers (USW)
PDF of Letter