Domestic Iron and Steel Industry Urges Congress to Maintain Buy America in Upcoming Transportation Bill

The legislation authorizing a slew of federal surface transportation programs expires in September.

It’s been almost five years since lawmakers in Washington passed the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), which authorized funding for and policies to shape our federal surface transportation programs. Now, with that authorization expiring in September, Congress is preparing a new multiyear reauthorization bill. And America’s iron and steel industry Is calling on lawmakers to preserve the Buy America laws that govern federal infrastructure spending.

“A robust reauthorization that upgrades the nation’s transportation networks and drives demand for domestically produced iron and steel, construction materials, and manufactured products will deliver lasting benefits to our economy, national security, and communities across the country,” reads a letter signed by the Alliance for American Manufacturing (AAM) and a consortium of labor and manufacturing groups. “For decades, America’s workers have melted, rolled, and fabricated the steel inputs that form the foundation for our nation’s public works, providing the essential products and materials for bridges, road safety apparatus, transit vehicles, airports, rail and other critical infrastructure.

“Strong Buy America laws have ensured that the sourcing decisions made in taxpayer-funded projects align with our labor and environmental standards,” the letter continues, “while also strengthening our national security by reducing dependence on unreliable foreign suppliers.”

Some important context here: Buy America in federal infrastructure spending is already the law of the land, thanks to a bipartisan provision that passed as part of the 2021 IIJA called the Build America, Buy America Act (BABA). Before it was enacted, Buy America only applied to a handful of federal programs, mostly within the purview of the Department of Transportation. What’s more, those rules were limited in their coverage and eroded by loopholes. BABA expanded those domestic content preferences to all federally assisted infrastructure projects. AAM has argued since then that we should enforce these preferences, fully implement them, and reject proposals to weaken them.

We’re saying the same thing now. From the letter:

BABA has been instrumental in directing infrastructure investments toward U.S.-produced products and materials, including steel that is “melted and poured” and fabricated by America’s workers. This commonsense policy fosters investments in our industrial base, enhances supply chain resilience, and creates good-paying jobs. Thus, as you consider the next reauthorization, we urge you to keep our nation’s Buy America laws strong and reject any efforts to weaken or erode them.

You can read the whole thing (and see all of its signatories) here.