FEINGOLD FIGHTS FOR 'BUY AMERICAN' REPORTING REQUIREMENT TO HELP AMERICAN WORKERS Amendment Will Require the Department of Defense to Annually Report to Congress on Its Foreign Purchases June 27, 2006 Washington, D.C. -- U.S. Senator Russ Feingold’s efforts to support American workers continued last week, when his Buy American reporting requirement was accepted as an amendment to the Department of Defense authorization bill. The amendment would strengthen the Buy American Act of 1933, which requires the federal government to purchase American-made goods whenever possible. "Over the last six years, Wisconsinites have lost tens of thousands of manufacturing jobs, largely because of unfair trade agreements and questionable administration policies," Feingold said. "By purchasing American-made goods whenever possible, our federal government will send a simple message to American workers: We support you." Under current law, the federal government is supposed to support American manufacturers and American workers by buying goods made in the U.S., but the law is full of loopholes that offer the heads of agencies broad discretion to waive the requirement. The amendment builds on Feingold's efforts to require federal agencies to report to Congress about foreign purchases. Feingold successfully pushed provisions to require all federal departments and agencies to report to Congress and the American people on the amount of foreign-made goods that they purchase in fiscal years 2004, 2005, and 2006. Feingold’s amendment would broaden the Buy American Act reporting requirement as it applies to the Department of Defense. Feingold will continue to work to ensure a permanent reporting requirement is extended to all federal agencies.

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