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Congressman Baird Fights to Preserve American Jobs (June 25, 2008)

"Common sense says if U.S. taxpayer dollars are being spent by our government on U.S. projects, that money should be spent on products, parts, and services provided by U.S. citizens and companies," said Congressman Baird. "Buy America keeps jobs here at home, guarantees fair wages, and strengthens our domestic steel industry, which is critical to our national security and infrastructure. Outsourcing good-paying jobs combined with the decline of the domestic steel industry will be costly and dangerous for this country."

The Surface Transportation Assistance Act of 1982 requires that federally-funded highway projects use steel that is produced in the United States. The Buy America law was put into place to ensure that, when taxpayer money is spent on highway projects, these expenditures stimulate United States production and job creation.

However, Congressman Baird learned in 2005 through an internal memo that the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) is going out of its way to tell states to circumvent the Buy America law, and a 2005 Sense of Congress resolution he drafted, in order to purchase cheaper, foreign steel from countries like China.

The SAFETEA-LU Technical Corrections Act includes legislation introduced by Rep. Baird that closes two major loopholes by: clarifying that Buy America applies to any project that receives federal funding at any time; and, clarifying that Buy America applies to an entire bridge project, and not just component parts of the project. The language is based on a bill Rep. Baird introduced in 2007.

The second provision is waiver notification and annual reporting requirement, which is intended to ensure public disclosure of the issuance of waivers to Buy America by the Secretary of Transportation, as well as to provide an opportunity for the public to comment on waivers that will or have been issued. This will also provide Congress with an annual report including data on the number and purpose of the Buy America waivers issued.

"Oregon Iron Works applauds Congressman Baird's continuous fight to protect American jobs, wages, and capabilities," said Corey Yraguen, President, Oregon Iron Works who employs 300 workers in both Oregon and Washington. "Over the years, the protections provided through Buy America have slowly eroded. Congressman Baird has worked tirelessly to ensure that American products and capabilities are used for American bridge projects. The language included in this legislation ensures that the intent of Congress is clear."

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