Baldwin Introduces NDAA Amendment with Duckworth to Support U.S. Manufacturing Workers and Strengthen Supply Chain By Enhancing Buy America Provisions

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin introduced an amendment with Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) to the Fiscal Year (FY) 2022 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) to enhance Buy American requirements, invest in American manufacturing and strengthen the U.S. supply chain. The Senate is expected to take up floor consideration of the FY 22 NDAA in the coming weeks.

“The federal government’s Buy American standards should make sure that taxpayer dollars support our workers and American-made products,” said Senator Baldwin. “I support this amendment to NDAA because it will strengthen our supply chain and support our Made in Wisconsin economy. I will do everything I can to help make sure America is buying what Wisconsin makes and I look forward to this effort earning bipartisan support from the Wisconsin congressional delegation.”

“When taxpayer dollars are at stake, we should do everything in our power to ensure we are leveraging them to support American workers, manufacturers and small businesses,” said Senator Duckworth. “Right now, our Buy American standards simply fall short. If we’re serious about reshoring manufacturing and building resiliency in our supply chain, we must raise the bar on our Buy American policies to help ensure taxpayer dollars go back into the U.S. economy.”

Duckworth and Baldwin’s amendment would gradually raise the Buy American domestic content threshold—which determines what percentage of component parts must be U.S.-made for a project to qualify for purchasing preferences under the law—to 75 percent by 2029. It would codify a proposed rule that the Biden Administration released in July.

The amendment is also co-sponsored by U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY). U.S. Representative Donald Norcross (D-NJ-01) successfully pushed for similar language to be included in the House NDAA.

The amendment is also supported by the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM).

“As the largest defense labor union in the United States, the IAM is incredibly grateful to Senator Duckworth for moving Buy American forward to benefit the U.S. workforce,” said IAM International President Robert Martinez Jr. “The IAM has led the way in advocating the use of U.S. tax dollars to purchase American-made planes, ships, missiles, submarines, and other products and services that keep our nation secure. This amendment will not only grow our industrial base and help give thousands of working Americans the opportunity to improve their lives and communities, but it will increase the number of domestic manufacturers throughout the country.”