From House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer’s office, an e-mailed news release Wednesday, “Hoyer: Make It In America Agenda Continues to Move Forward”:

WASHINGTON, DC House Majority Leader Steny H. Hoyer (MD) released the following statement after the Congressional Made In America Promise Act and the Berry Amendment Extension Act passed the House today with strong bipartisan support:

As Democrats continue to focus on job creation, a key piece of boosting the economy is strengthening our manufacturing sector.  With our Make It In America agenda, Democrats are working to increase good, manufacturing jobs right here in the U.S.  Today we passed two bills that emphasize the need to make more products in America.   The President has already signed three pieces of our Make It In America agenda into law, and I hope these bills are swiftly enacted as well.

The bills:

  • H.R. 2039, to clarify the applicability of the Buy American Act to products purchased for the use of the legislative branch, to prohibit the application of any of the exceptions to the requirements of such Act to products bearing a Congressional seal. It passed on the suspension calendar by 371-36. (Roll no. 521). Apparently Congress had previously exempted itself from the procurement requirements placed on other branches of the federal government.
  • H.R. 3116, the Berry Amendment Extension Act, to prohibit the Department of Homeland Security from procuring certain items directly related to the national security unless the items are grown, reprocessed, reused, or produced in the United States, and for other purposes. There are exemptions.

The National Association of Manufacturers’ “Manufacturing Agenda for Jobs and a Competitive America” lays out a comprehensive plan for strengthening the U.S. manufacturing sector and job creation.