Portman proposes BuyAmerican.gov central website

U.S. Sen. Rob Portman (R-OH) introduced a bipartisan, bicameral bill that would direct the General Services Administration (GSA) to establish a central website at BuyAmerican.gov to collect and display information about each requested waiver to Buy American laws.

“We must do everything we can to protect and maximize American jobs and that starts by ensuring that our tax dollars aren’t used to create jobs overseas,” Sen. Portman said on May 2. “This is a bipartisan bill that is needed now to help support American jobs.”

Sen. Portman on May 2 unveiled the BuyAmerican.gov Act with U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT). U.S. Reps. Mike Bost (R-IL) and Dan Lipinski (D-IL) introduced the companion measure, H.R. 2472, in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Under current law, according to Sen. Portman’s office, federal agencies may use domestic content waivers to Buy American laws to purchase goods or services from foreign companies in specific situations, such as when an American-made good is unavailable.

However, no government-wide system currently exists to track the use and abuse of these waivers by federal agencies.

If enacted, the bill would permit manufacturers and others to identify contract opportunities and hold federal agencies accountable for abusing Buy American waivers. Manufacturers also could challenge pending waivers sought by federal agencies, according to a statement from Sen. Portman’s office.

“Unfortunately, in the last five years alone, U.S. federal agencies have spent about $34 billion on goods manufactured by foreign firms, resulting in contracts and jobs lost to overseas competitors,” said Sen. Portman. “By improving transparency, the BuyAmerican.gov Act will encourage federal agencies to support American workers and American jobs by faithfully complying with Buy American laws.”

The bill also would codify President Donald Trump’s 2017 Buy American Executive Order and would require federal agencies to report on implementation of and compliance with Buy American laws, the senator said.