Guest Post: Congressman Tim Ryan on the importance of American-made holiday shopping

By Lauren Donia

The following is a guest post written by Ohio Congressman Tim Ryan (D-13).


With a few shopping days left, there’s still time to finish up your list and buy a few more presents, while hopefully doing something positive for the American economy. So if you’re on the lookout for last minute gift ideas, please remember there is still a chance to “buy American.”

I know this is a busy time, with many of us frantically trying to get ready for the fast-approaching holidays, but the few moments it takes to find out where a product is made are well worth the time spent.

The things you can buy that are made here in America might surprise you: How about a men’s shoe company in Wisconsin that Presidents Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama all have worn? Coffee mugs from New Waterford, Ohio? A watch from a company in Detroit or outdoor gear from a company in Duluth, Minnesota? If you’re looking for an oxford cloth dress shirt, or just a T-shirt, companies are making them in the heart of New York City.

In the 1960’s, almost everything Americans purchased during the holiday season was made here in the United States. Let’s all try to take a few extra minutes to support buying as local as possible. With everything from food to hard goods, I have made it a habit to take the time to check where a product was made. If we make it a point to spend just $64 on American-made goods each holiday season, we would immediately create 200,000 jobs here at home.