Murphy Calls on President Trump to Take Five Executive Actions Now to Boost "Buy American"

Press Release

As President Trump begins the first week of his presidency, U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) on Monday unveiled a letter he's sending to President Trump outlining five executive actions that the President should take immediately to close loopholes in Buy American laws. President Trump campaigned on increasing U.S. manufacturing jobs and boosting items made in America.

"I was heartened by your statement in your inaugural speech that your administration "would follow two simple rules: Buy American and Hire American,'" wrote Murphy. "Given your commitment to ensuring that taxpayer dollars buy American-made goods and hire American workers, I urge you to consider the following actions as soon as possible. Business owners and their employees expect that taxpayer dollars will prioritize domestically manufactured goods, and I believe the proposals laid out present an opportunity to fulfill your campaign commitment to do so and to help grow jobs in the United States."

In his letter, Murphy called on President Trump to take the following specific actions to ensure American taxpayer dollars are spent buying American-made goods, not goods made overseas:

1.Appoint a Buy American government watchdog
2.Conduct a government-wide audit of purchases to ensure Buy American compliance
3.Require a "Jobs Impact Assessment" to factor in U.S. job creation when awarding government contracts
4.Crack down on excessive Buy American waivers

Create BuyAmerican.gov, a centralized government website to increase transparency
Connecticut's 4,600 manufacturers account for 10% of the state's jobs and 96% of the state's total exports. In order to protect and grow manufacturing jobs in Connecticut, Murphy is the author of two pieces of legislation that aim to strengthen existing standards and prioritize the purchase of American-made goods, the 21st Century Buy American Act and the American Jobs Matter Act.

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