(RightWing.org) – On Sunday, August 1, a bipartisan group of Senators released the initial draft of their infrastructure legislation. Some of what researchers are learning is shocking. It makes one wonder if the Republicans in the group were paying attention to what the Democrats were adding to the 2,700-page bill.
A memo released by the Republican Study Committee blasted the legislation for its lack of true infrastructure, Green New Deal initiatives, and far-left language surrounding systemic racism and discrimination based on gender identity. However, equally shocking is how the deal makes it extraordinarily easy to bypass President Joe Biden’s “Made in America” pledge. Instead of Biden reneging on energy jobs, Congress might do it for him.
Why Bother With Made In America
The proposed bill injects numerous subjective options that allow bureaucrats to quickly and easily purchase non-American-made products on behalf of the US government. How easy is it? The legislation only requires Made in America obligations if manufacturers create a project’s entire materials in the United States.
According to the legislation, federal agency heads can waive the Made in America provision based on any one of the following subjective criteria:
- The procurement of materials isn’t consistent with the public interest.
- If iron, steel, manufactured products, or construction materials aren’t manufactured in the US in sufficient quantities to meet the demands or needs of the project, or the quality of the materials doesn’t meet the criteria.
- If US manufacturing increases the cost of an overall project by 25% or more.
Now, here’s the kicker. The government is only required to review the waivers once every five years. It’s safe to assume that a lot can change over that time. It’s plain to see how easy it would be for the government to get around the Made in American moniker while allowing the politicians to tout a great-sounding but misleading marketing trick.
Outsourcing Likely to Continue
Over the last six months, the Biden administration began pushing hard for renewable energy. Additionally, President Joe Biden claimed that renewable jobs would aid those accustomed to making a good living in the fossil fuel industries. But, is that true?
For starters, 80% of all solar panel manufacturing occurs in China. The United States is in the low single digits. As the administration pushes the government and the private sector to embrace renewable energy, it’s China that’s set for a financial windfall — not American companies that can’t compete with Chinese companies on price.
That’s not the only problem. The promises of better jobs were never genuine. While traditional energy jobs disappear, American companies likely won’t be able to compete with China’s lower prices. That means workers won’t be working, and if they are, they probably won’t be making the same amount of money that afforded them the comfortable lifestyle they are accustomed to living.
If the bipartisan legislation passes as proposed, it will be a disaster for taxpayers, citizens, workers, and US businesses. The loopholes to get around Made in America would be so subjective that justifying products purchased from overseas would be quick and easy.
Once again, Made in America isn’t a reality. It’s a marketing gimmick.
Don Purdum, Independent Political Analyst
Copyright 2021, RightWing.org
