{"id":32637,"date":"2022-06-21T22:55:25","date_gmt":"2022-06-21T22:55:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/staging.sightlinemg.com\/federaltimes\/uncategorized\/2022\/06\/21\/norcross-to-bring-back-tougher-buy-america-legislation-that-rankled-allies\/"},"modified":"2026-08-07T23:44:09","modified_gmt":"2026-08-07T23:44:09","slug":"norcross-to-bring-back-tougher-buy-america-legislation-that-rankled-allies","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/staging.sightlinemg.com\/federaltimes\/federal-oversight\/2022\/06\/21\/norcross-to-bring-back-tougher-buy-america-legislation-that-rankled-allies\/","title":{"rendered":"Norcross to bring back tougher \u2018Buy American\u2019 legislation that rankled allies"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

WASHINGTON \u2015 A key U.S. lawmaker said he plans to propose stiffer federal \u201cBuy American\u201d requirements through the House\u2019s annual defense authorization bill, in a renewed attempt to codify an executive order from President Joe Biden into law.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rep. Donald Norcross, D-N.J., told Defense News Tuesday that he\u2019s in talks with Republicans on the House Armed Services Committee to draft a compromise amendment when the panel marks up its version of the authorization on Wednesday. The amendment would only pertain to large defense programs, and it could recognize allies in some way, in an effort to assuage them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe are actively working with our allies and partners, and those in the defense committee, to try to work out a win not only for our country but for our allies and partners also,\u201d Norcross, a former labor leader who chairs the House Tactical Air and Land Forces subcommittee, said in an interview.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s latest in a back-and-forth<\/a> between Norcross and allied countries over his efforts to boost domestic jobs and manufacturing by strengthening \u201cBuy American\u201d requirements in federal contracting, which apply to about a third of the $600 billion in goods and services the U.S. government buys each year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Norcross last year authored legislative language that would have phased in a domestic content requirement of 75% in federal contracts by 2029, up from 55%. The measure fell away in negotiations to reconcile the House and Senate versions of the defense bill.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He\u2019s argued that COVID-19-related supply chain disruptions make the case for bringing manufacturing and services that had been moved aboard back to the U.S., especially when national security is at stake.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Defense Memorandum of Understanding Attach\u00e9s Group<\/a>, whose 25 member countries have special reciprocal trade agreements with the U.S., urged House lawmakers to oppose Norcross\u2019s proposal sight-unseen, saying it would drive up prices already beset by inflation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The chairman of the group, Pieter-Henk Schroor, said that such a proposal could constrain source materials from members and increase defense program acquisition program costs. The group includes Canada, France, Germany and the U.K.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf you open up your defense-industrial base to the bases of other countries, you might find certain products that are cheaper, but also of a higher quality. And if you use the benefit that offers, we think the overall cost of military equipment would be lower than is currently the case,\u201d he told Defense News on Tuesday. Schroor is the Dutch defense cooperation attach\u00e9 in Washington.<\/p>\n\n\n\t