Portman’s bipartisan bill promotes across-the-board Buy America rules

U.S. Sen. Rob Portman (R-OH) is cosponsoring a bipartisan bill to ensure that federal infrastructure programs require the use of materials produced in the United States.

Sen. Portman on July 8 introduced the Build America, Buy America Act, S. 2056, with bill sponsor U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) to ensure U.S. taxpayer dollars are used to buy American-made iron, steel and manufactured products for any federally funded infrastructure project.

“I’m proud to lead this legislation with Senator Brown because when the government spends American taxpayers’ money on an infrastructure project, it’s common sense that the materials used in that project should be purchased from those same taxpayers making those materials in the United States,” Sen. Portman said. “We have the world’s best workers making the best materials we need right here at home.”

Buy America generally refers to the various domestic content restrictions that attach to U.S. Department of Transportation grants to state and local government entities for the construction of transportation projects.

The Buy America rules have not been fully implemented for all federal infrastructure programs, subsequently permitting the use of some foreign materials for constructing U.S.-funded highways, roads, bridges and water and energy infrastructure projects, according to information provided by Sen. Portman’s office.

S. 2056 would close any existing policy loopholes to ensure only the purchases of American-made products for such federally funded projects.

The measure has been referred for consideration to the U.S. Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, which also is reviewing the bipartisan, bicameral BuyAmerican.gov Act of 2019, S. 1324, sponsored in May by Sen. Portman and U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT) to bolster any law, regulation, executive order, or rule relating to Buy American requirements.

The BuyAmerican.gov Act was also introduced in the U.S. House as H.R. 2472 by U.S. Rep. Daniel Lipinski (D-IL) and was cosponsored by U.S. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA). It is under consideration by two committees in the U.S. House of Representatives.