Four national trade associations petitioned the White House to make improvements in its implementation of “made in America” requirements for construction products and materials. They noted their members have encountered significant difficulty in navigating the White House Office of Management and Budget’s (OMB) “opaque and unbalanced implementation,” risking delays and cost increases for vital housing, transportation, and water infrastructure projects funded by the Infrastructure Investment & Jobs Act.
The infrastructure law, which was enacted in 2021, includes the Build America, Buy America Act, which expands longstanding domestic preference requirements for construction projects that incorporate federal dollars.
“Our coalition fully supports the Act’s laudable core purpose of strengthening domestic manufacturing,” the trade groups said. “Unfortunately, OMB’s focus on managing virtually every aspect of the Build America, Buy America Act requirements is not practical and causes confusion and delay with federal agencies that fund construction projects.”
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