Tell your state lawmakers to support legislation to apply Buy America preferences to taxpayer-funded construction projects.
On Tuesday, I wrote about an effort in New York to include Buy America preferences in the state’s budget, a decision that would spur job creation and reinvest taxpayer money right back into local workers and communities.
But the Empire State isn’t the only one that could soon strengthen Buy America.
Right now there’s a bill making its way through the New Hampshire legislature that would establish a preference for domestically made materials for construction projects funded with taxpayer dollars. Introduced by New Hampshire Sen. Tom Sherman, State Bill 438 aims to ensure that American manufacturers and workers get the first shot at state construction projects.
This legislation is important because taxpayer-funded construction contracts in New Hampshire have been granted to foreign companies at the expense of American workers. It’s a missed opportunity to reinvest tax money back into local communities, create good jobs and strengthen American manufacturing.
AAM’s Brian Lombardozzi wrote to New Hampshire lawmakers in support of SB 438 earlier this year, noting that American manufacturers and workers abide by some of the strictest labor and environmental laws on the planet. But by awarding publicly funded contracts to foreign firms, New Hampshire is rewarding bad behavior. Lombardozzi explained:
Unlike their foreign competitors in places like China, India and Russia, United States manufacturers are heavily regulated and do not rely on subsidies from their government to make them more competitive. New Hampshire’s procurement policies should not be divorced from its public policies. Taxpayer dollars should not be used to bolster foreign state-owned enterprises, nor should they reward companies that have moved their operations, investment dollars, and jobs away to foreign countries that lack or completely disregard reasonable environmental and workplace safety regulations.
That’s why Buy America is so important. It just makes sense to reinvest taxpayer dollars into American workers, companies and communities; it makes zero sense to give that money to foreign companies that don’t follow the same rules, especially when the same work can be done in the United States at a competitive price.