American Manufacturers Applaud U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin for Getting the Job Done to Improve Buy American Standards in National Defense Legislation

WASHINGTON, D.C. – After the final fiscal year 2018 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) passed the Senate last week, leading voices in the American manufacturing community applauded U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin for her work to successfully include Buy American requirements in the final legislation.

“Fairbanks Morse congratulates the NDAA conferees on an agreement that is not only beneficial for US manufacturers and US jobs, but helps to preserve US technologies for our defense industrial base,” said Marvin Riley, COO EnPro Industries. “We are extremely grateful for Senator Baldwin’s leadership in maintaining US capabilities that are vital to the interests of our national security.”

“The American Shipbuilding Suppliers Association (ASSA) commends the hard work of Senator Baldwin for her tireless efforts in support of the shipbuilding industry.  This provides the needed protection for our US shipbuilding industry which is required to defend the United States,” said Chris Cikanovich, President, ASSA. “This will further ensure that domestic companies remain an asset to the United States defense programs and that the shipbuilding supplier base remains a vital component of the United States industrial base.”

Senator Baldwin has been leading the charge to include Buy American requirements in the final NDAA. The NDAA passed by the Senate in September included section 863, which eliminated a number of critical Buy American requirements in defense procurement laws. Senator Baldwin offered an amendment to reverse this provision and after it wasn’t given a vote, she took her fight to the House-Senate conference committee. Last month she led 15 of her Senate colleagues in pressing the conference committee to include critical Buy American requirements in defense procurement laws.

The legislation also includes measures Senator Baldwin fought for to support Made in Wisconsin manufacturing and shipbuilding. While Senator Baldwin included a bipartisan amendment to add $600 million for a second Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) to the Senate-passed NDAA’s original level of one, that was still one ship short of the ideal number of three vessels. Accordingly, Senator Baldwin then pressed the House-Senate conference committee to include funding for three Littoral Combat Ships. This effort was successful, and the final NDAA includes funding for three ships, which will maintain workforce levels at the shipyard in Marinette and throughout the supply chain across Wisconsin.