Call it an odd hobby, but Rep . Mark Schauer , D-Battle Creek, loves to check labels.
While looking over a key chain and baseball cap promoting the 2010 census, he was stunned when he read "Made in China."
"What irony," he says. "Here is the census, something to try to help us get our fair share of federal dollars, and the products are helping create jobs in China. It's an outrage that our tax dollars are going to create jobs in China, but China isn't letting U.S. businesses have access to government contracts."
Schauer became even more hot under the collar when an aide dispatched to a local hardware store reported back that 238 of the 240 air conditioners that were for sale were made in China and many would qualify for energy tax credits under a "Cash for Caulkers" bill.
A member of the Buy American Caucus in Congress, Schauer sought an amendment to legislation that would exclude Chinese-made products from the rebate program unless the Chinese government opens its government contracts to U.S. businesses. His effort failed, and the House passed the bill, without his amendment. He voted no on the bill.
Now, he and other House members are asking for answers from the Obama administration. He sent a letter to Commerce Secretary Gary Locke and the director of the U.S. Census Bureau, Robert Groves (a former U-M professor), about why the census is buying swag from countries such as China and Bangladesh.
"The founding fathers included the census in our Constitution to count every resident in the United States, not waste our tax dollars on hats and key chains that create jobs in China," Schauer wrote in his letter sent Wednesday.
"I refuse to waste another penny of taxpayer dollars on products that create jobs in China instead of here at home." No word on a response, but Schauer's press statement points out the Census Bureau previously has "defended its actions with confusing and contradictory statements."
