The Biden administration issued guidance Monday that says projects funded by the bipartisan infrastructure law must use steel and other materials from U.S. manufacturers.
The 17-page guidance from the White House budget office stems from a line in the $1 trillion law that says federal agencies, starting May 14, must ensure that “all of the iron, steel, manufactured products and construction materials” had been made in America.
Mr. Biden is placing an emphasis on “Made in America” rules for everything from steel to electric-car batteries as he tries to create jobs, end over-reliance on China and shorten supply chains as inflation hits Americans’ wallets ahead of the midterm elections.
“From Day One, every action I’ve taken to rebuild our economy has been guided by one principle: Made in America. It means using products, parts and materials built right here in the United States of America,” Mr. Biden said during a stop in North Carolina on Thursday. “It means bringing manufacturing jobs back and building the supply chains here at home, not outsourced from abroad. It means letting and betting on American workers — let them do the job and bet on them. And it takes a federal government that doesn’t just give lip service to buying American but actually takes action.”
The guidance said there will be exceptions if domestic materials are too expensive or hard to find, though projects should only seek these waivers “when necessary.”
“In limited situations where there is an urgent need in an unforeseen and exigent circumstance, agencies have the authority to waive the application of Buy America preferences,” the guidance says.
The Associated Press reports that the U.S. today has 6.9 million fewer manufacturing jobs compared with its 1979 peak, a deficit sparked by outsourcing and automation.
The infrastructure package, which garnered support from Democrats and many Republicans, is Mr. Biden’s main legislative achievement to date.
The package cheered centrist Democrats facing tough races in swing districts this midterm season. But it has been overshadowed at times by rising consumer costs and other problems, including the chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan and recurring waves of the coronavirus, despite Mr. Biden’s efforts to promote the law in towns across America.
The White House struggled to gather the necessary Democratic support to pass a parallel, social welfare bill that is preferred by progressives in Mr. Biden’s party.
The president is trying to pass sections of the plan, including drug-price negotiation through Medicare, an extension of supersized Obamacare subsidies and the resurrection of a child tax credit.
• Tom Howell Jr. can be reached at thowell@washingtontimes.com.
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