WASHINGTON—U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), a member of the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee, on Monday released the following statement praising President Joe Biden’s Executive Order to strengthen opportunities to Buy American:

“As a long time champion for the Buy American movement with the introduction of the 21st Century Buy American Act, the actions taken by President Biden today are a big step in the right direction for American manufacturers. During the global COVID-19 pandemic, stimulating local economies and creating well-paying jobs is imperative to strengthening our manufacturing sector against foreign competition. I applaud the president for signing this Executive Order that prioritizes domestic production and will help bring jobs back to Connecticut,” said Murphy.

Murphy is the lead sponsor of the 21st Century Buy American Act, legislation to strengthen America’s existing Buy American laws to ensure that the U.S. government prioritizes the purchase of American-made goods. The non-partisan Economic Policy Institute said Murphy’s 21st Century Buy American Act would create up to 100,000 jobs. U.S. Representative David Cicilline (D-R.I.) introduced the companion legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives. Murphy is  also the lead sponsor of the American Jobs Matter Act, which would require the Department of Defense, for the first time, to measure their impact on domestic employment. Under this proposed legislation, the number of American jobs created or retained by manufactures and their impact on the U.S. economy must be taken into account by the U.S. government in awarding federal contracts. He also led a bipartisan effort to establish a centralized online hub to increase transparency and ensure federal agencies prioritize the purchase of American-made goods in compliance with existing law.

Specifically, the Biden Administration’s Buy American Executive Order will:

1.     Provide transparency for Buy American rules and waivers;

2.     Ensure strong domestic content requirements;

3.     Mandate supplier scouting to identify domestic suppliers to comply with domestic preferences requirements; and

4.     Create a new Made in America Office housed in the Office of Management and Budget to oversee a more rigorous process.

For more information on the Biden Administration’s “Made in All of America” plan, click here.

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