Senator Baldwin Delivers Strong Buy America Standards for Highway Construction

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) announced that she successfully pushed the Biden administration to fully implement stronger Buy America standards for federally funded highway projects to support domestic manufacturing and create good-paying jobs. For years, Senator Baldwin has called for the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) to end the 40-year policy that has allowed the federal government to skirt Buy America rules when constructing highways. This week, the FHWA announced a final rule to end the longstanding waiver that allowed federal-aid highway projects to sidestep Buy America rules and put in place stronger requirements that support American manufacturing.

“To me, it’s always been simple: when we use taxpayer dollars to build things, we should use those dollars to invest in American businesses, American jobs, and American workers,” said Senator Baldwin. “I have long fought to ensure that when we rebuild our roads, we Buy America, and I am proud to bring home this win. In his first administration, President Trump and I found common ground on Buy America policies – and I fully expect that he will continue to support these requirements that are a win for Wisconsin workers and manufacturers.”

“We are grateful for Senator Baldwin’s tireless work to end the Buy America waiver for manufactured products. Since 1983, tax dollars spent on infrastructure projects have been used to purchase imported products rather than those made here in America by U.S. companies and their workers,” said Alliance for American Manufacturing President Scott Paul. “This egregious loophole has been a colossal, missed opportunity to strengthen supply chains and build a stronger, more resilient economy. It is time to close this loophole without any further delay.”

Senator Baldwin has led the charge in advocating for stronger Buy American standards to prioritize American workers and products when U.S. taxpayer dollars are used. In May of 2023, Senator Baldwin called on FHWA Administrator Shailen Bhatt to end its 40-year Buy America waiver and “begin the long overdue process of developing FHWA’s guidelines for the purchase of American-made manufactured products in Federal-aid highway projects.”

In January 2021, Senator Baldwin pushed Department of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg at his confirmation hearing before the Senate Commerce Committee to commit to changing or rescinding the blanket waiver that has made foreign manufactured products eligible for FHWA projects.

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will provide approximately $350 billion for Federal highway programs over a five-year period. Senator Baldwin successfully included key provisions of her Made in America Act and Build America, Buy America Act in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to boost the use of American-made goods in infrastructure projects, including ensuring that this 40-year old waiver be reviewed. Combined, these two provisions will ensure that many common construction materials, like iron, steel, plastic, concrete, glass, and others, used in construction products are from the United States when rebuilding many parts of our infrastructure.

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