President Biden will sign an executive order on Monday to boost his “Buy American” efforts, following years of “Buy American, Hire American” initiatives from his predecessor.
The order, which will be signed head-to-head this afternoon, aims to increase domestic manufacturing by leveraging the federal government’s purchasing power and closing gaps for companies carrying out overseas business.
If the nickname “American Purchase” sounds familiar, it’s because President Donald Trump signed several executive actions centered on his “American Purchase, American Contract” agenda that dates back to early 2017.
In April this year, the 45th president signed an executive action encouraging federal agencies to buy U.S.-made iron, steel, and manufactured goods.
Two years later, he signed two more actions, focused on encouraging the use of American-made materials in federation-funded infrastructure projects.
Executive orders are legally binding and, accordingly, are published in the federal register. Executive actions, on the other hand, are more often symbolic efforts to promote change.
Trump’s directives encouraged new recipients of grants and loans to use iron, steel, aluminum, cement, and other manufactured goods produced in the U.S., but they did not demand it.
What Biden will sign on Monday is an order that will increase the amount of a product that must be manufactured in the United States so that it can qualify as manufactured in the United States.
It will also create a website for Americans to see which contracts are awarded to foreign suppliers and a site with the Office of Management and Budget to implement the federal procurement effort.
The federal government spends about $ 600 billion annually on goods and services, which Biden officials expect the order to hold longer in the United States.
Speaking to reporters in a call on Sunday, a senior Biden administration official was pressured about the similarities in “Buy American” messaging.
“The previous administration issued numerous versions and orders. But when looking at the result, there was no real material change in either the way home content was measured, or the rigor of home content requirements, or the use of waivers of the Buy American provision. “, argued the official.
“So, you know, in practice, nothing happened.”
However, Trump has repeatedly accused Biden of plagiarizing him while on the campaign trail to embrace the “Buy American” message.
In July last year, when the general election campaign was in full swing, Trump told reporters outside the White House that Biden “plagiarized me, but he will never be able to get it. He likes to plagiarize.”
With publishing cables